Hostage
by BruHaeven
Summary: When a serial killer prowling Gaia targets Yuffie, she is sent into a protective housing, much to her dismay. The worst part? She's in total isolation except for her bodyguard, none other than Reno...or is that the best part? Rated M for certain themes.
1. Watched

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII and all the characters—sadly—belong to SquareEnix…I just like to play with them from time to time XD

_The night was still, and the calm might have been peaceful if it hadn't been broken by a loud scream of terror. A motorcycle engine roared to life and the sourc__e of the noise could soon be see__n speeding along t__he mountainous paths of Gaia's western c__ontinent. The motorcycle's passenger __wore no helmet and was female—obviously__ panicked__ as she__ kept stealing frightened looks over her shoulder. After a few tense minutes of swerving along the bridges towards Wuta__i, the woman sighed with relief, t__urning to face forward once more__. She relaxed as the gates of Wutai came into view…she was safe …until __another motorbike seemed to appear fro__m the shadows, cutting__her__ off. This was obviously her pursuer, and the cause of her __fear__, as the victim let out another shriek a__nd swerved away from the hunter. Her tires lost traction and__ her motorcycle __crashed to its side, the rocky terrain slicing into the metal as it skidded towards a clump of trees. The smell of gasoline was in the air, and upon contact with the__ new element of kindling, the bike exploded into flames. The second bike came to rest a few yards from the small for__est fire. Boots crunched on gravel __as they approached the flames. There was a small groan from the flaming pile of metal __as__ the injured passenger could be seen crawling away from her ruined vehicle__, trying futilely to escape__. Swift __strides__ carried her tracker to her struggling form. One large boot came down on her ankle, and an audible snap was heard._

_"Please…" she whispered through clenched teeth. "Don't kill me…" Her__ pained,__ brown eyes looked up through blonde hair at the attacker. _

_"Oh, don't worry, pet. By the time I'm done with you…__you'll be begging for death__." A chilling laugh followed as the flames burned higher and higher, lighting up the__ night sky and illuminating the__poor woman's resigned eyes. Her screams were lost to the flames and the stars. _

If there was one thing that Yuffie Kisaragi hated above anything else, it was being woken at ungodly hours of the morning—like six-thirty for instance. But when the sirens broke through the fog of sleep that Yuffie had been enjoying, she awoke not with hatred at the sounds, but with dread at what it possibly meant. Throwing herself out of her warm bed rather unceremoniously, she hurried out of her apartment, not even caring that she was supposed to be Wutai's modest princess and that she was running around in a pair of short shorts and a Chocobo tank top.

Hurrying towards the sounds of the sirens, Yuffie came to a dead halt at Wutai's gates. Where a small patch of trees had once been, there were only charred and smoking remains, encircled by police and an ambulance. Slowly approaching, Yuffie's grey eyes took in the horrific scene. A motorcycle rested among the remains of the trees, just as destroyed by the fire as the foliage. But worst of all was the nude, female body, limbs jutting out at odd angles, the surrounding grass stained dark by blood.

Fighting down the bile that threatened to make an appearance, the small ninja walked up to her father, who was solemnly overseeing the whole scene. Godo acknowledged his daughter's presence with a small nod of his head, before speaking in a strained voice.

"I didn't think he would make it to the western continent. All the previous murders were nearer to Edge. But I was wrong. Wutai is no safer than any other city."

"It is him, then?" Yuffie's eyes searched her father's as sadness flickered through them.

"This crime scene is like all the others, and his treatment of the poor girl is the same. He tracked her all the way from the southern tip, where she had gotten off of a boat last night. Scared her senseless, caused her to crash, raped her, murdered her, and then left the area." Yuffie suppressed a shudder of disgust.

"Does anyone know who she is?"

"I'm afraid not. Let me handle this, Yuffie. Get back inside and for Leviathan's sake, put some clothes on." Godo turned away from his daughter without another word. Yuffie sighed, stuck out her tongue childishly, but in the end she turned her back on her father, and headed towards her apartment. All the way back, she was lost in thought over the Planet's newest problem.

It was a couple months back when the murders started. At first, no one put the killings together, but as the number of victims began growing, and with the similar method of operation in all cases, it was deduced that a serial rapist and killer was prowling Gaia. All the crime scenes were pretty much pristine, and the lack of evidence was making the tracking and capture of the killer extremely hard. Edge seemed to be the center of the grisly killings…until now.

Walking into her apartment, Yuffie flopped into a chair and put her head in her hands. It was then that the air seemed to crackle with tension, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Slowly raising her head, she took in the appearance of her apartment and realized that something was incredibly wrong. The pit of Yuffie's stomach lodged itself into a nice, tight knot as she slowly walked through her house. Not a creature of immense neatness, Yuffie was used to the messy clutter that usually made up her home, not the pristine house laid out in front of her.

Walking back into her bedroom, she found her bed, which had been a tangle of blankets and sheets upon her exit maybe half an hour before, was neatly made. Not a wrinkle marred the lavender bedspread. The only thing out of place was a small piece of paper on the pillow that Yuffie's head occupied at night. Pacing slowly towards it, keeping her senses on alert for anything else, the ninja picked the paper up and read the four words on it.

_You'll be next, Princess._

Whirling with a sudden surge of fear and adrenaline, Yuffie spotted the open window. The killer had left, but the damage was done. The future Lady of Wutai could feel the paranoia beginning to set in, but she forced it back with a bit of will and a potent scowl. Throwing on a pair of black shorts with a bright green tank top and lacing up her ridiculously tall white boots, Yuffie grabbed her Conformer and picked up her PHS from her bedside table. Pushing a few buttons, she put it to her ear and turned to face the window, gazing out at the Pagoda in the distance. Her call finally went through.

"Hey, old man! Wanna give a princess a lift?" If there was one thing Yuffie Kisaragi knew, it was that she couldn't stay in Wutai any longer.

The only sound that could be heard was the steady _clank, clank_ of boots on metal as Yuffie paced in one of the _Shera's_ corridors. Her hands were laced behind her back and her dark eyes troubled. One of her pockets contained the frightening note from earlier, but she was trying to think less about that, and more about what she was going to do now.

Yuffie would be the first to admit that her decision to leave Wutai had been rushed, paranoid, and spur-of-the-moment. That didn't mean it was necessarily the wrong plan of action though. A heavier clanking along the floor alerted her to someone's approach, and the slight smell of cigarettes affirmed that it was Cid, instead of one of his annoying crew members. Whirling to give the pilot a wide grin, the shin obi threw herself at him in a bear hug.

"I missed you, old man! It has been _way_ too long since I've hung out with AVALANCHE, ya know!"

Cid seemed a little thrown by the sudden show of affection, but he returned the hug with as much warmth. "Yeah, brat…I know. But with the state of Edge, it's been hard to get in and out without a &in' inspection every time. At least Spike and Tif are holdin' up alright…"

Pulling back from the older man, Yuffie looked at him intently. "How're things in Rocket Town? Shera's okay and everything?"

"She's fine…a little worried, after the murder last week, but other than that, she's fine." Yuffie's eyes had gone wide.

"There was a murder in ROCKET TOWN? And you left Shera _alone_?! CID HIGHWIND! YOU WILL DROP ME OFF AT REEVE'S OFFICE AND THEN YOU WILL GET BACK TO ROCKET TOWN TO MAKE SURE YOUR WIFE IS SAFE!"

Obviously taken aback by Yuffie's anger, Cid went so far in his shock as to take a step back in an attempt to escape the fury radiating from the small girl. A light laugh erupted from somewhere behind Cid.

"Yuffie, Cid may be an irresponsible, chain-smoking, old man…but he's also not _that_ bad of a husband." Shera strode down the hallway towards the shocked pilot and angry ninja, her ponytail bouncing with each step, eyes shining with amusement. Giving Cid a swift peck on the cheek, she pulled Yuffie in for a hug. "I'm honored that you got so worked up about me, but it really was unnecessary, Yuffie."

"Oh. Okay then," was all the response Yuffie's fried brain could sputter out. "Uh…can we get me to Reeve's office now?" Cid shook himself out of his stupor and focused a glare on the girl in front of him.

"Wanna &in' explain what this is all about now? Shera, could you whip up some tea?" He began, but Yuffie shook her head stubbornly.

"It'll be better for you to not know. Just don't worry about it. I need to speak to Reeve, and maybe even Tseng. Then my little…issue will be ironed out. Just…I need to get there as soon as possible."

"And I'm sposed to not worry about your situation, when you're in a hurry to meet with Reeve and Tseng? The President of WRO and the leader of the Turks? #&, kid, you put a lot of stress on an old man." But Cid shuffled away back to the bridge, and Shera followed with a concerned look over her shoulder.

The stares as Yuffie walked through Shin-Ra HQ made her uncomfortable, but she did her best to take them in stride. Pacing up to the large front desk, she waited for the receptionist to look up. The woman's obvious surprise at the Princess of Wutai standing in front of her made Yuffie grin.

"Morning! Any chance I can get a word in with Reeve, or is the old pervert busy making more robotic sex toys?" Before the poor woman could answer the awkward question, Reeve's smooth voice floated in from somewhere behind Yuffie.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't refer to Cait as a sex toy, Yuffie. It offends him, you know." Spinning on her heels to smirk at the man, Yuffie placed her hands on her hips.

"Oh come on Reeve! Just 'cause I'm the only one who actually says it _out loud_ doesn't mean I'm the only one who's thinking it." He gave the ninja a small smile before pulling her into a tight hug.

"It's been far too long since I last saw you, Yuffie. To what do I owe your royal presence?" Pulling back, his eyes were alight with curiosity. The happiness in Yuffie's eyes immediately dimmed, and she reached into her pocket to fiddle with the small piece of paper.

"Umm…maybe somewhere a little more private?" She suggested, noting the receptionist's sly interest in the conversation.

"Of course, of course." Reeve began to lead the way to the elevators as Yuffie followed, beginning to be irritated by all the fuss her royal status caused.

"I'm thinking that maybe Tseng should be there, too. I'm not _positive_, but the Turks might be able to help me out."

"…and that's why I'm here. I figured that any information the Turks might've gathered about the killer would be helpful…when I go after him. While the killings were still east of Wutai, it wasn't exactly my problem. But the second he set foot in my country, it got a whole lot more personal." Yuffie gazed at the two men across the desk from her; fire blazing in her stormy eyes.

There was dead silence for a full minute before Reeve spoke.

"So…you intend to go after him, then?"

"Well…duh. He's messing with me and my country. I'm not gonna sit back and just take it."

"…Out of the question."

"What?" Surprise flitted across the young woman's face.

It was Tseng who finally answered. "Yuffie, you are of royal blood…the last in your line, and this man has made it obvious that he is after you. If you think we are going to sit back and let you go after him, then you obviously don't understand the situation. Right now, you are in grave danger…and with your danger, there comes danger to Wutai's future. I think…it would be best if you were placed in some kind of protective housing…with one of the Turks stationed with you. Sort of like a witness protection program."

Yuffie's mouth fell open in outrage. "But—I…you—he—WHAT THE HELL?!"

Tseng smiled a little at the seething princess. "It's for the best. We can't have you risking your life against a serial killer with Wutai's future looking so promising."

"I TOOK ON FREAKING SEPHIROTH, THOSE FUGLY SLIVER-HAIRED TRIPLETS, DEEPGROUND SOLDIERS, _AND_ THE TSVIETS, AND YOU THINK I CAN'T HANDLE ONE LITTLE NIGHT CREEPER?! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU'RE TALKING TO??!!" Yuffie didn't care who heard her angry ranting. She had jumped up from her chair, her breath coming in short gasps, and fury radiating from every cell in her body.

"The White Rose of Wutai. Yes, Yuffie…you did all those things. Three years ago. There hasn't been danger like this in three years, and none of those people were after you _specifically_. This man is, and he won't stop until your blood is on his hands. For the sake of Wutai, and it's peace with the rest of Gaia…we can't afford to lose you." Reeve was smiling gently and Yuffie flopped down into the chair she had occupied previously, crossing her arms like a teenager who had just been grounded. In a way…that's what she was. Tseng was speaking quickly into his PHS, and snapped it shut shortly after Yuffie's rant.

"It's all settled who'll be your bodyguard, we just need a few hours—a day at the most—to get your living situation all sorted out. Your bodyguard should be here in a moment."

Yuffie muttered something about 'It better not be—' before the door swung open to reveal none other than Reno. He swaggered into the room, nodding to Tseng and Reeve, and throwing a playful wink at Yuffie's stunned face.

"Hey babe."

Turning slowly to face Tseng, Yuffie's face had turned murderous. "Tseng…you had better hope he does a good job keeping me wherever you send me…because the second I get out of there…I will find you…and kill you."

(AN: R&R please! Constructive criticism is much appreciated, but please no flames. I'm not using a beta or anything, so any typos are my own mistake and probably due to the fact that I do most of my writing at ungodly hours of the night. The next chappie is mostly done, except for some minor editing cuz, so if you enjoyed this at all, drop a review and it should be posted shortly)


	2. Underwear and Understanding

Disclaimer: I WANT RENO! But he is owned by Square, along with Yuffie and anything in this story other than the plot, and my lovely serial killer.

Seeing as Yuffie hadn't intended on being put under house arrest, she hadn't exactly packed any clothing, and due to her state of house arrest, she wouldn't be able to go out and buy more clothes. She had punched Reno when he suggested he go shopping for her. So now she found herself stealing back into Wutai in the dead of night, with the hyper redhead doing his duty as bodyguard. In other words, Reno was following her around and making perverted comments.

Picking one of her bedroom window's locks, Yuffie slid it up and gracefully pulled herself through. Reno, being his not-as-ninja-like-as-Yuffie self, needed a little help from said ninja, and as she finally managed to haul the Turk through the window, she stumbled backwards in the darkness of her room. This accident placed both Reno and Yuffie in a rather uncomfortable position, involving Reno being on top and Yuffie being underneath him.

Reno's eyes gleamed with mischief as he smirked at Yuffie. "Barely in your bedroom, and you're already trying to put the moves on me? Could you have at least waited til we were on the bed, babe?"

Blushing furiously through her scowl, Yuffie kneed him in the groin as best as she could from beneath him and hopped up as he rolled off her with a yelp of pain.

"Sorry Turkey, I'd never put out to a moron like you." She flashed him a sweet smile before heading towards her closet to find an easy-traveling duffel of some sort.

After a few minutes of digging through mounds of ridiculously tall boots, she finally pulled her least-heavy green duffel, looking triumphantly at it. From behind her, Yuffie heard a chuckle…a very _evil_ sounding chuckle and she whirled around. And Yuffie's mouth fell open. And her eyes went wide. And then her face contorted into the deadliest look she figured she had ever made. This detail she shoved in the back of her mind for "later study", more commonly known as "once she was done killing Reno."

He was standing at her dresser, the small top drawer open, and hooked around one of his long fingers was Yuffie's favorite, lacy, black-with-pink-moogles thong. He smirked, and that was his biggest mistake.

"I have to admit princess…this is a surprise. I was expecting boy shorts or maybe even boxer br—" Reno was cut off as a throwing star whizzed past his face and embedded itself in the wall directly behind him.

"ARGH! RENO! You go anywhere near my underwear again and you will not only end up with my Conformer _up your _ass, I will also chop off your ponytail and force feed it to you!" And with that, she cheerfully kneed him in the groin again… much, _much_ harder this time, snatching her thong before it could touch the floor.

As Reno writhed around like some kind of weird, furry-headed snake, Yuffie scampered to her dresser and chucked random articles of clothing (including the moogles thong) into her duffel. With a little sigh, she zipped the duffel shut and tested its weight. Not too bad, seeing as all the had to do was make their way down to the south of Wutai. From there, they would take the boat to Costa del Sol, and after that, Reno would chauffeur her to her jail cell. Or house, either one. No, definitely jail cell. Turning back to Reno, Yuffie grinned at him as he glared at her.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry I roughed up your frotch a little bit…but, it's probably taken worse from all the trashy hookers you pay for…a tiny kick from little old Yuffie isn't gonna do much." She fluttered her eyelashes innocently as he continued to glower.

"Whatever, brat. Let's just get the fuck out of here, your place smells like shit." Rolling her eyes, she exited through the window once more. Reno had suggested using the door, but that just wasn't as ninja-like as the window. Together they set off; Reno's Mako enhanced eyes piercing through the darkness, and Yuffie relying on her trained sense of hearing. There were few monsters, and those that were stupid enough to attack the Turk and the ninja were sent packing with an quick shock from the EMR and the slice of a shuriken.

The two companions were silent. Yuffie was lost in her thoughts, wondering how long it would be before she saw the sun rise and set on Wutai's coasts again, and who knew what Reno was thinking. The journey was long on foot, and the silence was making Yuffie a little twitchy.

"Hey, Reno?" He grunted. "What's your favorite color?"

"Why the fuck does it matter, brat?" The words were harsher than he intended, and he winced in the dark, glad Yuffie couldn't see.

"Well…we're gonna be seeing a lot of each other from now on and I figured it would be better if I got to know you more…I figured it would be better if we were…friends?" It came out like a question and Reno smirked at her uncertainty. The spunky ninja was hardly ever uncertain.

"Friends don't beat friends where the sun don't shine, _princess_." Yuffie grinned cheerfully.

"That's not true. Tifa and I use to spar behind Seventh Heaven, and let me tell you, I hit her in the boobs more times than I can count…I mean, half the times were on accident, but it's not my fault her cleavage is so huge it just _happens_ to get in the way of my punches. And she got her hits in too… I couldn't sleep on my stomach for a week 'cause of her." She continued to babble about some of the other happenings back at Tifa's bar, and Reno's mind began to wander as her high voice washed over him.

Tseng had been surprised when Reno had volunteered so quickly to watch over the Wutaiian Princess, but he hadn't said one word against it. Reeve and Tseng had probably already started a bet on how long it would be before either Yuffie or Reno ended up dead at the other's hand. When Elena heard the news, she gave him one of those "all-knowing" smiles and Reno had wanted to knock her teeth out. He _hated_ those kinds of smiles. Rude had simply nodded, emotionless. It was obvious that they all wanted to know _why_ Reno was so keen to take this job. Well—"

He was yanked out of his thoughts by a sharp elbow connecting with his ribs. "What about you, Turkey?" Not wanting to betray that he hadn't been listening, Reno mentally flailed for the last thing he'd really heard her say.

"How many times have I been punched in the boobs? Well, it's funny you should ask that actually—" This response was met with a playful smack on the arm and an eye roll, but Yuffie's stormy eyes were playful instead of truly annoyed.

"You weren't listening at all were you? I _was_ asking you about your parents, after going on about how much Godo annoys me, but I don't really want to know anymore. If you aren't gonna be interested in what I have to say, then I won't be interested in what _you_ have to say. Don't come crying to me when you have a breakdown someday and need to spill your guts to someone, and you're _still _my bodyguard because Tseng and Reeve are overprotective fuckers. I'll be the only one around and I won't be listening to a word you say, so eventually you'll spontaneously combust from no one giving a shit about you, and then where would I be? Bodyguard-less with a serial killer after me, and then when he kills me it'll be all your fault for spontaneously combusting and not being there to do your duty as my bodyguard. But then we'd both be dead, and we could party with Leviathan, except you'll probably go to hell with Ifrit 'cause you hire hookers, and I'll be in heaven 'cause I'm just so adorably sexy."

At this point, Reno's brain was so overwhelmed by Yuffie's rant comprised of weird placements of blame and run-on sentences, that all he could manage was a confused chuckle.

"Well kid, there's not that much to say about my parents. My dad was a Turk before he got taken out in an assassination that went bad…that was when I was about three, so I don't remember him at all. My mom was…" Reno paused here, remembering the woman. "She had a bad lifestyle. Too much booze and drugs for her to really be there for me. So, I left when I was about thirteen. Got by on stolen food and sweet-talking old ladies. I've always been able to charm the ladies." He winked at Yuffie, even though she couldn't see it. "Eventually I ran into the first lady I _couldn't_ charm with my striking good looks and smooth ways. But, she was the one who took me in. I stayed with her until I was eighteen, calling her granny and all that. Then…she died too. So, I went and joined the Turks. The money from her will was enough to give me a good start on the adult life. Not great, but enough." He glanced at Yuffie again.

Her eyes were wide and her mouth was hanging slightly open. It was an absurdly cute look and Reno felt a weird urge to just hug the girl.

"Wow….that's so COOL! So you left home too…just like me, huh? Except you were younger…" She trailed off, obviously thinking. "So. Do you look more like your mom or your dad?" She asked, seeming exceedingly interested in the answer.

"My mom. From the pictures I've seen, my dad had the whole 'tall, dark and handsome' thing going with the ladies. But he never cheated on my mom or anything. She was the wild one."

"She must've been very pretty…" Yuffie's voice was airy and far away, her mind obviously not even on the same continent as her body. Reno took that her comment as a kind of weird, backwards compliment and smiled.

"So…you're calling me hot. I knew you wanted me." Yuffie's mind came crashing back into her head as she whipped her head around to face him.

"GROSSNESS! You? Hot? More like exceedingly feminine…have you ever considered cross-dressing? You'd make a very pretty girl, though not as pretty as Cloud." Her grin was wicked as she muttered that last part, and then the fit of giggles came.

"_What?_" Reno looked at her in disbelief. "Repeat that last part again?" But Yuffie waved him off through her laughter.

"I'll tell you—heehee—when you're older—hahaha!

"I'm older than you are, kid."

"Yeah…you're what, like thirty? You're like an old man!"

"Nice try, but I'm twenty-three. You're what, like twelve? Except…twelve years olds don't have underwear like yours." Yuffie kicked his shin and began muttering obscenities. Reno could pick out "bastard, prick, and douchebag," but the rest was all in Wutaiian.

They had finally reached the boat's dock. Yuffie immediately ran to the end and plopped down, swinging her legs over the edge. Reno swaggered over to stand behind her as the both watched the sunrise, casting pink shadows all around them.

"This is where it started…ya know?" Yuffie looked up at him, eyelashes casting feathery shadows on her cheeks, the suns cherry glow lighting up her face, ever so slightly.

"Where what started?"

"The last murder…she got off the midnight boat right here…and that's when he started pursuing her." A tiny shred of panic was creeping onto Yuffie's face.

"Don't worry, kid. She didn't have me with her." Reno smirked at her, watching as the fear erased. It was kind of a good feeling…being able to take her fears away. As soon as he thought that though, he shoved the feeling away. He was turning into a sap after practically no time with the young ninja, and that was very stupid. Yuffie had turned back to watch the sun rise.

"I don't know how well off she would've been, even if you _had_ been there. You probably would've been too busy hitting on her to notice the killer." A grin flitted across her face.

Reno reached down and ruffled her hair. "I'm not _that_ much of shallow asshole."

Yuffie snorted. "Yeah, you are. But don't worry, it's not such a bad feature once you get used to it."

On the horizon, a dark dot had appeared, as the early morning boat sailed closer to Wutai. The two people fell into a comfortable silence, one's thoughts on the future and what it held, and the other's thoughts on the person beside them.

(AN: Alrighty, there you have it…Chappie dos. There was originally a completely different chapter in its place, but that got bumped to being chapter three. So, once I do another proof-read of that, then it'll be posted. Of course, reviews also make me more excited to post XD. Anyways, this is dedicated to chibified kitsunes, Kaikai PANTS, AureusNoctua, and last but not least, my lovely Otaku Dreamer, without whom playing video games at four in the morning just wouldn't be as much fun. Thanks guys, your reviews keep me going! gives cookies)


	3. Trust

The drive towards Yuffie's personal prison—that was what she considered it, at least—was a quiet one. She kept expecting Reno to make some stupid comment, therefore starting up their playful banter and bickering from before, but the stupid comment never came. With a small sigh that seemed to echo in the silence, the girl turned on the radio and cringed as Kelly Clarkson began blaring.

"What is this crap?!"

"Turn that shit off!"

Reno and Yuffie both exchanged a look and she giggled before switching stations. After a minute of searching, Yuffie sat back with a sigh of relief as 'Demolition Lovers' began to play quietly throughout the car.

"MCR fan, eh?" Reno was looking at Yuffie sideways with curiosity and she returned his look with a grin.

"Since the beginning. I can't stand those flipping posers who call themselves fans just 'cause they like 'Welcome to the Black Parade.' Makes me wanna shove my throwing stars up their—well…you know." Reno tossed his head back and laughed, Mako blue eyes shining with amusement.

_Hand in mine, into your icy blues_

_And then I'd say to you, we could take to the highway_

_With this trunk of ammunition too_

_I'd end my days with you in a hail of bullets_

"Must be hard…being a Turk, huh?" Yuffie blurted out suddenly. Another sideways glance went her way as Reno's laugh subsided.

"What makes you say that, kid?"

"I dunno…it's just that…it doesn't seem like you'd be able to get close to anyone really. 'Cause like…what if…your girlfriend, boyfriend, significant other, etcetera, was a Turk with you…and something went wrong on a mission…and they died right in front of your eyes? Or…even worse, they ended up being your target one day…and then…you had to kill them?"

_I'm trying, I'm trying_

_To let you know just how much you mean to me_

_And after all the things we put each other through and_

"Well…yeah, it's hard some days, and the work's as dirty as it comes, but there's an understanding between partners on the job, that we'll always watch each other's backs with our lives." He paused thoughtfully as the music continued to swirl throughout the inside of the car.

_I would drive on to the end with you_

_A liquor store or two keeps the gas tank full_

_And I feel like there's nothing left to do_

_But prove myself to you and we'll keep on running_

A lopsided grin was thrown Yuffie's way. "There're pluses to the job too, of course." Reno continued.

"Oh?"

"Getting the chance to have a hot chick like you all to myself." An eye roll and a hard smack on the arm was all the reward Reno received.

"RENO! How did I know that the pervy comments were gonna start soon? And we were having good conversation too!"

"Sorry, babe—er, Yuffie. How about this…getting the chance to protect one of Gaia's soon-to-be great rulers from some sick asshole?"

Yuffie crossed her arms and glared. "Nice save."

_But this time, I mean it_

_I'll let you know just how much you mean to me_

_As snow falls on desert sky_

_Until the end of everything_

_I'm trying, I'm trying_

_To let you know how much you mean_

_As days fade, and nights grow_

_And we go cold_

"I mean it. I'll make sure nothing happens to you, kid. Not just 'cause it's my job, but 'cause you've gotta go on to bridge the gap between Wutai and the rest of Gaia someday. You live there, you know how shaky things have been lately." The scenery flew by outside the window; a winding dirt road, surrounded by trees. The sun was high and blazing in the sky, but it was blocked out by the shady forest.

"Do you trust me?" It was Reno's turn to make a more personal inquiry.

Gazing out the window at the trees flashing by, Yuffie mumbled, "I have to, don't I?"

"But do you _trust_ me?" Reno's blue eyes searched Yuffie's grey ones.

"…Yes."

_Until the end, until this pool of blood_

_Until this, I mean this, I mean this_

_Until the end of…_

The redhead nodded, and the shin obi looked away, back at the trees. This place reminded her of the Ancient Forest, and she suppressed a shudder.

"Hey, kid? Why did you ask about being a Turk earlier? The _real_ reason." So he had seen through her lie. It wouldn't have been the first time, and it most certainly wouldn't be the last.

Yuffie sighed. "Remember the last time you were in Wutai? Maybe…a year ago? I ran into you, almost killed you right then and there, and an hour later we were at dinner talking about politics. Mainly Shin-Ra versus Wutai's system of government. That whole time, we talked about me a lot…and you never said a word about yourself, or your career as part of Shin-Ra. I guess I just wondered…"

The Turk was a little surprised. "I can't believe you still remember that, yo. It was a weird…friendly thing between us, wasn't it?" He was still a little hesitant to call Yuffie his friend…Turks didn't have many friends, it was too dangerous to get attached. Besides, he hadn't seen her in a year up until two days ago. Yuffie had continued with the conversation, and Reno tuned in, not wanting to hear another rant about him not listening.

"Yeah, it was friendly…until you made some crude comment, and then stood me up the next day when we were gonna have dinner again and talk more politics. I mean—it obviously wasn't like a _date_ thing or anything…but still…you promised."

_I'm trying, I'm trying_

_To let you know just how much you mean_

_As days fade, and nights grow_

_And we go cold_

"I didn't mean to flake on you…the boss called with some urgent mission…I don't even remember what it was now…sorry, kid."

"It's, 'kay. I wasn't really expecting you to show anyways. 'Course, I figured you had found someone better looking to spend your time with, instead of a mission." Her slight laugh made it obvious that she was joking, but the comment still hurt. Not that she thought he'd gone with someone else…but that she had doubted his sincerity in the first place.

_But this time, we'll show them_

_We'll show them all how much we mean_

_As snow falls on desert sky_

_Until the end of every…_

"I may seem like some asshole player on the outside, but it's not really like that, ya know. Most've the ladies I'm seen with are targets…sometimes we have to get to know them, learn their habits, before pulling the trigger." Yuffie shuddered and Reno continued. "It's not a good life, princess. Turks are just...machines. Instruments of death that Shin-Ra uses to exterminate the evil. I guess we become mindless and evil ourselves, after a while."

_All we are, all we are_

_Is bullets, I mean this_

_All we are, all we are_

_Is bullets, I mean this_

"No. You only become mindless and evil if you let yourself. Godo…he's mindless and evil in his own way. He was…so blinded by his power that he didn't notice it was gone until Shin-Ra was putting down their guns after the war. And even then…he let his country suffer rather than admit his own faults. You, as an assassin, at least know what your faults are…and you can overcome them as long as you don't let your power take over your life."

"Power? What power do I have?"

"You…Reno…you have the power to take lives."

_As lead rains, will pass on through our phantoms_

_Forever, forever_

_Like scarecrows that fuel this flame we're burning_

_Forever, and ever_

_Know how much I want to show you you're the only one_

_Like a bed of roses there's a dozen reasons in this gun_

There was a long silence after that, other than the music from the radio. Yuffie was the one to break it with a loud giggle. She met Reno's eyes and gave him her trademark grin.

"Well, this talk has been super serious… I've used up my maturity quota for a good month, I think. Same time, next week, Turkey?"

Reno smirked back at her. "Yeah, I think I've gone far too long without making a perverted comment. Hmm…as long as it's just us two in the house…all alone…with no one to get in our way…"

"Don't even start going there, ya frotch perv."

Reno chuckled before turning sobering again. "But…one more thing." The annoyance faded from her features as their eyes met one more time in a solemn manner. "I _will_ take care of you, Yuffie. Trust me."

_And as we're falling down, and in this pool of blood_

_And as we're touching hands, and as we're falling down_

_And in this pool of blood, and as we're falling down_

_I'll see your eyes, and in this pool of blood_

_I'll meet your eyes, I mean this forever_

The car had reached its destination, purring to a stop. Yuffie didn't even look at the house as she nodded at Reno. He would take care of her. She was certain of that.

(AN: Okay, for some weird reason…I'm in love with this chapter. It doesn't even matter if none of my readers like it (okay…it kinda does, but whatever), this chapter is mainly me indulging in my MCR obsession…There's not a lot of description, but I kinda felt like the dialogue made up for it, and was a necessary part…kind of a transition chapter…

The next chapter? Reno and Yuffie…alone in a house…with no one to interrupt them…oh the many things that could happen XD

Thanks go out to ShiningEyes, my lovely Otaku Dreamer, chibified kitsunes, AureusNoctua, and a special thank you to Serenitychan13 just for being so excited about this update that she PMed me, hugglez back. THANK YOU REVIEWERS! You all get Reno plushies! And remember…the more you review, the more I write, and the faster we can get to the Reffie fluff XD.)


	4. Sexuality

Disclaimer: I may not steal Reno from Square, I may not steal Reno from Square, I may not steal Reno from Square, I may not steal Reno from Square, I may not steal Reno from Square, I may not steal Reno from Square, I may not steal Reno from Square, I may not steal Reno from Square, I may not steal Reno from Square, I may not steal Reno from Square…

BUT I WANT TO!

"Oh…wow…" Yuffie breathed, staring at the house before her. It was one of those older houses that you would expect to find out in the countryside, with the white paneling and the wrap-around porch and gravel driveway. Hoisting her bag onto her shoulder, the girl took off towards the house and bounced up and down in front of the door, waiting for Reno.

As he walked forward at a much slower pace, Reno was reminded of a video game he played when he was younger…something called _Final Fantasy VIII_. There was a girl named Selphie who was always bouncing around when the group of characters went on trains, waiting for the leader to open the door to the more private cabin. Yuffie reminded him of Selphie as she hopped from foot to foot with anticipation…except the grin she gave him made her cuter than Selphie could ever hope to be. Smirking back at Yuffie, the Turk slid the key into the lock and the door swung open to reveal…

Well, the house on the inside was nothing special. Kind of run-down, but still homey…cozy almost. All the pieces of furniture were covered in white sheets to keep the dust off. The front door opened into a sort of living room, with a staircase heading up and to the right. Off to one side of the living room was clearly a dining room, which Yuffie guessed lead to the kitchen, and to the other side was a bedroom. There was also a small bathroom at the back of the living room. Sprinting up the stairs, which creaked loudly, to Yuffie's delight, the shin obi was met with two more bedrooms, each with their own bath, and a spiral staircase she assumed lead to the attic. Finally ending up in the bedroom with the most windows and light, Yuffie threw down her duffel, and began pulling the white sheets off of the bed, dresser, rocking chair and desk that decorated the room, throwing them all in a corner messily. She then unpacked her few belongings and set them into the dresser, throwing her boots onto the closet floor in a heap that highly resembled the one they had been in at her house in Wutai.

Making her way back down the stairs, she began searching for Reno, who had disappeared once she had run upstairs. All the sheets from the living room, kitchen and bedroom downstairs were neatly folded in a pile by the door that made Yuffie feel guilty about the messy mound in her room. Searching in all the downstairs rooms, Reno was nowhere to be found, and Yuffie could feel a bit of fear beginning to rise in her throat. Why was she so panicky lately? Sure, the serial killer was one scary son of a b, but she was sure that she would at least stand a good chance against him. Maybe…it was more Reno's absence that made her worried, then the actual threat? Maybe she didn't like it when he wasn't around…but Yuffie refused to believe that. He was just an annoying flirt, who happened to be her bodyguard until the threat of serial rapage/killage got eliminated.

The ninja was finally observant enough to notice a door back behind the stairs, leading outside. The door was slightly ajar, so she simply yanked it open and got her breath taken away once again. There was an expanse of grass leading from the house down to the shore of a small lake. Reno stood, watching the sun set on the lake, his back to the house and his arms crossed. The sun's rays bounced off the lake, casting beautiful reds and pinks and purples all across the water. Reno's already flaming hair truly looked like it was on fire and Yuffie couldn't help but laugh a little. Turning at her laughter, Reno motioned for the girl to join him, and she grinned and skipped over, her energy offsetting the tranquil mood. Coming to a halt beside the redhead, she stared at him as he looked across the water.

"Lot's of memories here…ya know…"

"Huh?" Yuffie's glanced turned curious as she continued to look up at Reno.

"Well…this is where I used to live…with my "grandma" before I joined the Turks." He pointed over to the woods in the north where, just barely visible among all the trees, was a large marble gravestone. Yuffie shivered a tiny bit—cemeteries always made her a little uneasy. Her goosebumps didn't avoid Reno's attention.

"Something wrong, princess?"

"Nah…it's just that…in Wutai, everyone's cremated, and then we scatter their ashes from the top of Da Chao. We don't do markers and all that…they kinda give me the creeps, ya know?" Reno laughed and slung his arm around her shoulders, steering her back towards the house.

"I promise, my granny won't come and getcha, she was always very nice…except towards thieves."

"Oh great…that really helps me out a lot, frotchy."

"What is it with you and joking about my crotch? If you want me that bad, you can just tell me, kid. I promise I won't make you jealous by bringing other girls back." Yuffie wrenched herself out of his grip and stomped on his foot.

"You wouldn't bring them back anyway! Who knows, one of your hookers could be the killer!"

"Yuffie…it's a guy. He _rapes_ them."

"Reno…it's called a dildo. You know…those things that pop up in a lot of your girl-on-girl porn, which I now you watch! Besides, maybe one of your hookers is a tranny. Oooh, Reno…are you gay? 'Cause if you are, you can tell me. I'm very accepting of these things."

"BRAT! I'm _not_ gay!"

"Ohmigawd! Yes you are! It explains everything! The long hair, why your weapon is basically one big electrical penis…and Rude! No wonder you guys spend so much 'alone time' together! Does Elena know that her husband's gay?" Yuffie grinned cheekily at Reno's seething face.

"Yuffie…I am not gay. If you need me to prove it to you, I could do that right now." Reno's face was suddenly a mere few inches from Yuffie's. She could see the annoyance in his eyes, but it was caked over with mischief now. And his eyes in general…deep blue-green with one lock of fiery hair falling over the right one.

Yuffie's stomach twisted into a bunch of knots and her face paled considerably. "NO! Nononononono! I'm very much aware that you aren't gay…umm…I'M HUNGRY! LET'S GO EAT…or something." Whirling before she was overcome by her hormones, the ninja-thief hurried inside, ran straight to the kitchen, plopped down at the table and tried to regulate her breathing.

Footsteps behind her alerted Yuffie to the presence of her extremely obnoxious, not-sexy-at-all bodyguard. Not wanting to see the mocking grin he was undoubtedly sporting, she kept her eyes trained forward, staring intently at the gleaming pots on the stove. He slowly swaggered to the seat across from her, and then his face was blocking her view of the pretty, pretty pots, which had made for a great distraction. Slipping into an emotionless mask, she stared back at him with empty eyes. It took effort, but if Yuffie could hold her concentration, then the mask wouldn't falter.

Reno smirked wider. "Are you sure it's not _your_ sexuality we should be concerned about, princess? After all, not many women could resist the sexiness that is Reno. And you _did_ say you used to grope Tifa behind the bar…" Yuffie's mask evaporated and her anger flared.

"SPAR! I SAID WE USED TO SPAR! When fighting Reno, the opponent becomes one big target board. There is no difference between a hit landed on the shoulder and one landed on the ass. I would have thought that as a Turk, you would know that already."

Reno had to admit, Yuffie was extremely sexy when she got mad. Her eyes flashed and turned a darker grey than usual, like a thunderstorm was going on inside them, and her mouth turned down into this little pout. He didn't like the emotionless façade she had put up earlier, it just didn't suit her. Yuffie was never emotionless, and she took all her emotions to the biggest degree possible. She was feisty. It was one of the unique and charming things about her.

Sure, back in the days when AVALANCHE had been on the road to fighting Sephiroth, Tifa had the looks and Aeris has the naivety that Tseng found irresistible, but Yuffie had the personality. With her big boots and even bigger grin, loud laugh and hyper ways, the girl seemed almost harmless. Until you saw her fight. Then she was all speed and power and flashing steel, flipping from one place to another until you were never quite sure where she was or where she would be half a second after her shuriken flew. These days, she still had the personality, the big boots and the awe inspiring combat skills, but she had also grown up too. Yuffie would never have Tifa's figure, but she had a seductiveness that was all her own, one that came with deceiving for a living. A sultry grin and a swivel of her narrow hips and just as you think she's yours…off she scampers with your wallet, your materia, _and_ your pride. Reno remembered Vincent once saying that Yuffie was too innocent, but she was probably the guiltiest member of AVALANCHE. She hadn't taken as many lives as the Turks had, but she had done her share of lying, deceiving, cheating, abusing trust and using people. The girl was definitely far from innocent.

Reno continued to ponder as Yuffie grew uncomfortable with his intense stare, shrinking in her seat a little. "Reno….Renooooo…._RENO_" The Turk jerked a little and shook his head.

"Alright brat…how about, I'll make dinner and we forget the whole argument?" His eyes were still burning with intensity, and Yuffie avoided his gaze, nodding.

"I'll be back in a little bit…I uhh…have some more unpacking to do…" Yuffie walked from the room swiftly and hurried upstairs, not stopping to think until she was safe behind the closed door of her room. There, she sat on the bed, trying her hardest to think of anything _but_ Reno, and how she could've kissed him today…_if she had wanted to…_which she didn't. Not at all.

At least, that's what she tried to tell herself.

The smell of spaghetti cooking downstairs finally lured her out of her room, and after a dinner that was less awkward than Yuffie had imagined it would be, she ended up curled up in one of the big armchairs in the living room with Reno sprawled on the couch nearest to her.

"This place…it must've been a lot different than growing up in the slums, huh?" Yuffie looked inquiringly at Reno, and the man sighed.

"It was a big change, coming here, you're right about that. But it wasn't a bad change. And then…five year ago, I ended up right back in the slums, or on the upper plate…killing for a living. I dunno which is worse…the slums or the plate."

"Wouldn't the slums automatically be worse?"

"Yes…and no. Yeah, the living conditions are shitty, but the people there at least have hope…they have something to work towards, and it gives them a better perspective than the people on top of the plate who have it easy. They're rolling in the good life, but they're so self-centered and so…disgustingly greedy that it just makes me pity them. They don't have any appreciation for the good things in life. Everything's about money and material things to them. It's getting better, now that Rufus is trying to fix things, instead of being the second-coming of Old Man Shin-Ra."

"Well…you already know that Wutai is having problems dealing with Rufus. He's still trying to have a bunch of authority in Wutai, even thought we've separated ourselves from Shin-Ra. He just doesn't understand that we want peace, but we also want our old country back…the Wutai from before the war. And Godo doesn't help at all. They both need to get it through their thick heads, that it's gonna take compromise to fully get peace. Godo can't hold on to every single old tradition, because he has to keep up with the times…but Rufus can't expect us to fully convert to the lifestyle that the rest of Gaia has. We're never going to have lasting peace between Wutai and Shin-Ra that way."

Reno looked at the girl. He could see that she truly did want to restore Wutai to its "former glory," and she definitely knew what it was going to take.

"See? That's why my job is so important…because once your old man kicks the bucket; it's up to you to make all that happen. You're the one who's going to do it, princess. Not Godo."

"I know…I just wish I didn't have to get married before I can take over…knowing Godo, he'll shove me off on the first rich guppy that comes along. I don't even think he cares about blood at this point. The guy doesn't have to be Wutaiian…just filthy rich."

"Well…if you wait it out long enough…" Yuffie glared.

"I may not like Godo very much, but he is my dad…and I'm not just gonna wait around all excited for him to die."

"Sorry! Sorry…just trying to cheer you up, Yuffs." The nickname slipped out before Reno could stop it, and he forced his face to remain nonchalant as Yuffie regarded him oddly.

"Yuffs? That's a new one. Not brat, kid or princess…Yuffs. Hmmm…" They both sat in silence for a minute or two, each wondering what the other was thinking. Reno finally broke the silence.

"Alright, I'm off to bed. I'll be on the first floor, so in case our guy miraculously finds out where you are and tries to come through the front or back door, I'll be ready and waiting." The redhead stood, stretched and was heading towards his room when a hand latched onto his elbow. Turning he met the frightened eyes of Wutai's princess.

"What if he comes through a second floor window?!" He voice was higher than usual and alarmed.

"Then I'll hear him and be upstairs before he even sets foot in the hallway." Reno smirked at her confidently.

"But what if you don't hear him in time?!"

"I'm a Turk, Yuffs. I'll hear him."

"_But what it you don't??!"_

Reno sighed. Looking from Yuffie, to the big double bed that was waiting for him, he made a decision and hoped that he wasn't going to regret it later. For personal and professional reasons.

"Yuffie…would you feel better if you stayed with me?" A short, shocked pause followed, but then Yuffie lowered her gaze.

"Yes."

Slinging his arm around her, they both headed toward his bedroom. "Let's get to sleep then." After his slip-up in the kitchen earlier, Reno seriously prayed that he could keep his cool while sharing his bed with the ninja princess.

(AN: MUAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh gawd, I love Reffie. Anyways, not much to say about this…I hope I'm not taking things too, too fast…but I wanna get to the fluff! Anyways, thanks go out to my awesome reviewers, ShiningEyes, AureusNoctua, chibified kitsunes, and JingYee. Also, thank you my lovely Otaku Dreamer, even though you _didn't review_, you did read it and help me out before that chapter was even posted sooo….love you chica. Thanks so much for the feedback reviewers, even thought I didn't get around to individually replying to all of you… Anyways, anyone who reviews _this_ time around gets some double chocolate cake with their choice of a Reno, Vincent or Cloud plushie. Oh, and sorry if there are massive typos, but like I said before, all my creativity comes at obscene hours of the night, plus I'm a slight insomniac so I blame sleep deprivation…Til next time, kupo!)


	5. Sweet Like Syrup

Disclaimer: I once had a dream that I owned Final Fantasy VII…then I woke up and all I was left with was some OCD serial killer…

There were times when Yuffie was sure that Leviathan was just fucking with her. She could've sworn a serial killer was after her, and she was going to be in total isolation with the most obnoxious man on the Planet, hating every moment of her existence until the final day when said serial killer was taken out and she was freed from her prison; sprinting away from said obnoxious man and into the arms of her knight in shining armor…whoever that was.

But as she snuggled down under the warm blankets, halfway between sleeping and waking…she had admit, that theory needed some alterations. Yes, there was a serial killer after her, and yes, she was in total isolation until the day when he was taken out. However, right now, her existence was nothing other than very warm and very comfortable, and somewhere close by…something smelled very good. Although, she couldn't argue that her sole companion was obnoxiously flirtatious, he also presented an interesting puzzle…one that she was oddly fascinated with.

Reno was rather captivating in his own way. He could go from being almost frighteningly angry one second, to having you drooling over his every move the next. His words went from superficial to significant, and this constant switch kept Yuffie on her toes, always one step away from unraveling the thoughts inside the Turk's head.

The ninja thought back to when she had first seen Reno, right outside of Gongaga. He and Rude had been discussing which of the AVALANCHE women they liked. It was deduced that Rude liked Tifa, and Tseng liked Aeris…but what about Reno himself? During Yuffie's travels in Gaia before joining AVALANCHE, she had heard of the redheaded Turk, a deadly assassin and infamous lady-killer. And when she finally saw him in person? He definitely didn't disappoint. There was always something sexy about long hair, Yuffie had thought. Sure, she had had a crush on Vincent, but she was too impatient to deal with people who lived in the past. Maybe if she had waited long enough, Vincent would have forgotten about Lucrecia, but by that point she'd probably be graying…she had settled for friendship in the end. And so, flashing back to Gongaga, she had regarded Reno with an intrigued eye, he had done the same for her, summing her up in one long look. Unimpressed by what he had seen, his eyes flickered to Tifa and Aeris, with much more appreciative looks. Well…Yuffie would show him not to just brush her off. A few flicks of her shuriken and one Doom of the Living later, she watched him "walk the other way" with a satisfied smirk plastered across her face.

That was only the first time he would learn not to underestimate the youngest member of AVALANCHE. Every time they ran into the Turks, Yuffie would make a point of targeting Reno, showing off all her skills, creating a lasting impression with the man. And when the Turks had come around for Christmas at the bar one year, Yuffie had gone all-out with the alcohol, never relenting until after Reno had passed out. It was a good thing he hadn't come around the next day, because she probably would've killed him before he even opened his mouth… her hangover had been so bad.

Even so, the two had never really been friends. Whenever they happened to run into each other, each one had fun trying to irritate the other to death, and then they would part ways, never starring in the others' thoughts until their paths crossed again. And now, all of a sudden, Reno was the topic of her dream-thoughts. Leviathan was a cruel serpent, and as Yuffie began to wake up fully, she sent a prayer out to him that she still had all her clothes on. After a night in Reno's bed, who knew what could've happened?

Finally opening her eyes, she noted with relief that the shirt she had borrowed from Reno to sleep in, and her short shorts appeared to be situated correctly on her body. Then she took note of her position. Her hands were gripping Reno's shirt (the one he was wearing, not hers) in a death-grip and her head was lodged in the crook of his neck. His arms were wrapped loosely around her back, holding the girl to his chest protectively. The source of the delicious smell was now very apparent. Reno smelled amazing, kind of like sand and smoke and beach and sun. Kind of like Wutai…like home. Sighing contentedly, Yuffie decided that she wasn't ready to start the day yet, so she snuggled in closer to the Turk. Not that she liked the way his arms were around her and his chin was on top of her head and how he smelled like home, or anything. Not that she liked _him_.

From her position of having her head _under_ his chin, she didn't notice that Reno was already awake and watching her out of the corner of his eye. And as she drifted back to sleep, she didn't notice that his arms tightened ever-so-slightly around her lithe frame. She couldn't notice the small smile on his face as he too closed his eyes for maybe an hour or two more sleep. And she would never know that he had dreamed of her the night before. When he awoke, maybe an hour or two later, the bed was empty of a certain ninja, and Reno felt a slight pang of loneliness, which he quickly brushed aside. At least this avoided the awkwardness that would've been sure to come, had the two companions woken up simultaneously. After all, they had pretty much been—he hated to admit it—cuddling and they weren't even really together. Reno wasn't even sure if Yuffie harbored any feelings for him…but he had to admit that all this alone time with the quirky young woman was making him a tad attached. And for a Turk, attachment to a client, because that's what Yuffie pretty much was, could turn ugly, very quickly.

Then again, he pondered as he got dressed and headed towards the smell of pancakes, if he did his job, there was no reason to worry about losing Yuffie. He would protect her from anything, right? So as long as he kept his cool, and kept her safe…maybe getting involved with her wouldn't end badly. But then again, what if _she_ didn't want _him_? And why the fuck was he so uncertain all of a sudden? Reno the Sexually-Gifted, was never uncertain of anything, especially not when it came to women. He had a God-given talent for making the female species swoon, and all of a sudden his attitude was thrown because of one young, short, big-booted, thieving, extremely adorably sexy ninja princess. It had to be the isolation that was doing this to him. He had spent four fricken days alone with the girl, from packing up her things in Wutai, to the boat ride over to the mainland, to the car ride up, to the previous night, and all of a sudden he was willing to do anything for her, not to mention rip her clothes off and get her in bed before those pancakes that she was making had cooled. He was definitely losing his cool.

Yuffie, on the other hand, was doing just dandy. She hummed to herself as she poured some batter onto the hot stove, and began flipping the pancakes with practiced skill. All her attention was focused on the task at hand, so much so that she didn't notice the brooding Turk in the room until he flopped down at the kitchen table with a loud _thump_. Sliding the cooked pancakes onto a plate, Yuffie set them down in front of Reno and went to get the syrup. This was where her height became a problem.

The shin obi had never been able to understand why people put important things like syrup all the way on the top shelf of the cabinet. Sure, it was easy for someone who was anywhere from 5'10" and up to reach it, but what about those poor 5'2" souls? They would be forced to live in a miserable, syrup-less existence or else–shudder—ask someone for _help_. Well, Yuffie wasn't one to ask for help, seeing as she was rarely ever help_less_. So, when Reno got up from the table to get the syrup for her, she pulled herself up onto the counter until she was kneeling comfortably, and then reached from there…unknowingly placing her ass right in Reno's face. He grinned.

"AYIIIIII!" Right as Yuffie's hand closed on the torso of Aunt Jemima, something came out of nowhere to smack her butt and with a great battle cry, she slipped down from the counter, whirling to face her attacker and sending poor old Jemima tumbling to the floor, where her head proceeded to explode, showering both Reno and Yuffie's legs in a sticky, gooey, mess. Everything was quiet for a split second. Yuffie's eyes narrowed. She could've sworn she heard that little western ditty in her head and Reno thought he saw a tumbleweed roll by. Then…just as he thought she might have relaxed…Yuffie was pummeling him.

"You ASSHOLE! These are my FAVORITE boots and now their ruined and LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO JEMIMA!!!" Reno noted how she never even touched on the fact that he had smacked her ass, she just continued to rant about her boots and the syrup bottle. Plopping down on the floor, far away from the gooey puddle, Yuffie yanked off her boots and then proceeded to rip of her (Reno's) shirt in an attempt to clean them, exposing her lime green, lacy bra to the Turk. He'd already been through her underwear drawer once, what damage could this do?

Apparently…a good deal of damage, because when Yuffie looked up at him, his eyes were clouded over with an odd look, and she blushed, immediately going back to her task. He slowly walked towards her and the thief's blush deepened. Crouching down til he was almost at her level, a cool finger slid under her chin, forcing their eyes to meet.

"Yuffs…let's get some breakfast, and then I'll clean up this mess and your boots…only if you promise to never test my self-control like this ever again. Deal?" Yuffie didn't want to think too deeply about what Reno meant so she simply nodded, and they both stood.

"Ummm…I'll go get a clean shirt…" Yuffie mumbled, but Reno shook his head, pulled his own shirt off and handed it to her, before retrieving the ruined bottle of syrup from the floor.

Breakfast was quiet as they lathered the syrup still left in the half-exploded bottle on their cold pancakes. The only sound was the clinking of forks on plates and the occasional slurp from Yuffie as she downed orange juice. It was awkward.

"Well…isn't this fun…" Yuffie muttered, more to herself then to Reno, but he still heard and chuckled a bit.

"Sorry…about before, princess."

"Eh, don't worry about it…after all, it _is_ a nice ass." Reno's laugh came out more strained than he liked, and the awkward silence resumed.

"So…"

"So?"

"What do you want to do today?"

"Dunno."

"Okaayyy…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Dammit!" Reno was sick of it being so damn awkward. He never did well in awkward situations.

"What?!" Yuffie looked a little surprised.

"…Nothing."

"Tell me…"

"No."

"Reeeeeeeeenoooooooo…"

"No."

"Pleeeeeeeeeeeeease?" And there were the Puppy Eyes. He didn't even have to look at her to know that they were there. He could feel them, frying his common sense and pride with their gleaming innocence. God damn the Puppy Eyes…they were almost a bad as Sephiroth.

"I just…hate awkward moments." Yuffie, surprisingly, laughed her natural, loud laugh. Reno looked up to see her making an odd hand motion that looked kinda of like a sign-language turtle. He raised an auburn eyebrow.

"What? You've never heard of awkward turtle? Oh come one! Neither had Spike or Tif…must be a Wutai thing…anyways, this," she thrust her entwined hands at Reno, "is the awkward turtle. He goes for a swim during awkward situations, and then people laugh and everything's normal again." Reno looked at her oddly. Her grin began to falter. "Don't make it awkward again, Reno…I'll just have to whip him out again." Reno smirked at her.

"Whatever you say princess, whatever you say."

The day passed slowly—Yuffie found ways to amuse herself as Reno scrubbed at the kitchen floor, and then took on the job of cleaning Yuffie's monster boots. At one point, after Reno had brought out all the heavy artillery, including every kind of soap he could get his hands on and even Windex all to no avail, he looked up to see Yuffie had appeared at his side, looking at her boots sadly.

"They're ruined…aren't they?" Her voice was melancholy, and Reno shook his head, meeting her sad eyes.

"I'll get 'em clean…don't worry, princess." Yuffie grinned up at him, noticing a small, dark smudge of syrup on his forehead. She quickly rubbed it off and then licked the sticky finger, watching Reno for a second longer, before turning and beginning to walk away.

"Yuffie…" He trailed off as she turned, looking at him curiously.

"What do you want, Turkey?"

And finally, that simple question caused something to click in Reno's brain. Rejection didn't even matter now.

Yuffie watched as his face turned from unsure to decided, and he closed the gap between them with two long strides. And then Reno was kissing her, and Yuffie was kissing him, and all of a sudden she didn't even care that her favorite boots were ruined, or that they were probably already taking things too fast, because GAWD Reno knew how to kiss. She didn't care that she had barely been friendly with him for five days, because she felt safe, and his kiss felt right, and her hands were knotted in his hair and his arms were around her waist, and she didn't want him to let go ever. It didn't matter that they could have been kissing at the lake's edge as the sun set, instead of in the dirty, sticky kitchen. All that mattered was him and her, Reno and Yuffie.

And when the pair surfaced, both a little air-deprived, Reno grinned lazily at Yuffie and she smirked up at him, roles reversed for the time being. Yuffie tugged Reno's hand and led him in the general direction of the bedroom.

"Come on, Turkey…I'm tired…"

"Oooh…what are we gonna do in the bedroom?"

"Don't go getting any pervy thoughts, frotch."

"Too late."

"Ugh. You are _hopeless_."

"Yeah, but you love me anyway."

"Can't deny that. Still, don't think your ideas are gonna become a reality any time soon."

"So I might get them someday?"

And their banter continued even after Yuffie was comfortable situated in Reno's arms, under the covers, in one of his shirts. Maybe they were moving too fast, but both were of an impatient nature, so it suited them just fine.

(AN: YAY FLUFF! Okay, so…to all of you who think that it was too soon…I COULDN'T WAIT ANY LONGER…I'm a sap, and flufflife, so get over it cuz you know that Reffie is adorable and you wanted the fluff too. Anyways, a big dedication goes out to Otaku Dreamer, because….drumroll IT'S HER BIRTHDAY!!! YAY BIRTHDAYS! does birthday dance with collection of moogles plushies …geez she's getting old. Aaaaaaaaaaaand my other thanks go out to: AureusNoctua, chibified kitsunes, ShiningEyes, Freedom Rionach, and Kaikai PANTS… thanks and love to you all! hands out chocolate cake and plushies

Oh, and as a side note…I realize that the infamous serial killer, and the main reason why Yuffie and Reno are holed up together in the first place, hasn't really made an appearance as of late…well, that's cuz…_they're in hiding_. Anyways, don't worry…that it still the main point of the plot, and after I get my fluff overload in the next few chapters, that part of the plot will pick back up again and things will get darker and more exciting…until next time kupo!)


	6. Unforseen

Disclaimer: Nope...still dont own anything...

* * *

Time was a funny thing, Yuffie realized. The days she spent in the house with Reno seemed slow and lazy, not that she minded, but the actual weeks felt like they flew by. That part Yuffie didn't like so much. She had no idea what was going on in the world, other than in her own personal, confined world.

And this whole confinement thing was starting to drive Yuffie a little crazy. Cabin fever is a funny thing, and Yuffie found herself shoving all her clothes into a bag and getting ready to run away. She swore she was going crazy. Had she really made-out with Reno the day before? Would he be angry if she ran away? Would he miss her? Would he come after her? Probably…and then he would either drag her back to the house and tear her clothes off or kill her out of annoyance at her antics. With Reno, Yuffie was never entirely certain.

As she zipped her bag with nimble fingers, the ninja began to wonder where her bodyguard had gone. He had locked her in her bedroom for the day, saying he had to run out and get something and it would be dangerous for her to be running around the house with him gone. So Yuffie had been left to pace her room all day. And she paced. And paced. And paced some more. And somewhere in between the pacing and the daydreaming and the twiddling of thumbs, something had snapped and the young princess had begun packing.

Hoisting her bag over her shoulder, Yuffie turned to pick the lock on her bedroom door…and smacked face-first into the muscular chest of Reno.

"AYIIIIII!" The ninja flew backwards with a cry of shock and stumbled over the long straps her duffel. In the end, Yuffie ended up tangled in her duffel gazing up at the Turk in the doorway with an innocent expression. Reno raised one scarlet eyebrow as he stepped smoothly into the room and stood over the smaller girl twisted up and struggling on the floor.

"Hey Reno!" She chirped brightly, trying to untangle her socked feet from the straps of her bag. "I was just uhh…getting ready to do some laundry…If you have anything you need done…you can just uhh give it to me." The shinobi grinned nervously as the Turk kneeled in front of her. Mischievous gray met amused aquamarine as Reno leaned irresistibly close to Yuffie.

"I thought," he began softly, his lips mere centimeters from Yuffie's, "that ninjas were supposed to be good liars."

Yuffie's brain had stopped working at this point and she could only look blearily into Reno's eyes. "Umm…I had cabin fever?" The amusement faded to anger as Reno stood up and raked a hand through his hair.

"Cabin fever? _Cabin fever?!_ Yuffie Kisaragi, there is a serial killer after you, and you decide that running away is a good idea?! Are you completely stupid?!"

The small ninja's brain had started working again, and it was working overtime as she processed Reno's words. Managing to tear through her bindings she stormed right up to Reno and poked him in the chest, fury evident in her stormy eyes. "Oh, _I'M_ stupid?! ME? I'm not the one who has a charge to protect and decides to lock my charge in a bedroom for an entire day as I go about my business! If the killer had come to the house, do you really think a locked wooden door would've stopped him? If he's that serious about killing me, I don't think it would've done anything!"

"Goddammit Yuffie! It's better than nothing! I'm not the psychotic ninja princess who tries to run away from the only protection I have when there's a killer after me!"

"ALRIGHT FINE! So I was being stupid, but where the hell were you?! Out fucking one of your hookers probably!" As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Yuffie regretted them. Reno's obvious anger fizzled out as he looked at her. She knew she had said the wrong thing, because his shoulders slumped slightly. "I'm sorry, I didn't—" But Reno's quiet voice cut like a knife through Yuffie's apology.

"I was…out getting these…" Reno picked up a bag from the floor, a bag Yuffie hadn't noticed earlier. Shoving it into her hands, the redhead turned slowly and left the room. Peering into the bag, Yuffie suddenly wanted to cry. Because inside the bag was a pair of boots, identical to the ones that had been ruined by syrup the previous day.

Smacking her forehead in frustration at herself, the short woman muttered curses under her breath. "Yuffie Kisaragi…you are an idiot."

* * *

Down in his bedroom, staring into a mirror, Reno was frowning at his own reflection. She had though he was out with hookers? No. She couldn't have really meant that…they had both just been angry. And why the fuck did he care so much? Okay…so they had kissed, and then slept together but not like _that_. And he wasn't gonna lie…he _liked_ kissing the hyper ninja…a lot more than some cheap hooker…or even any person he'd ever kissed before. It had to be the isolation that was doing this to him, but for once…Reno was actually considering commitment. With a loudmouth, hyperactive, ninja Princess no less.

Not commitment as in death-do-you-part, but at least maybe exclusive dating? The thought of Yuffie kissing some other guy the way she had kissed him yesterday made the Turk's blood boil. Jealousy was an odd and alien feeling, Reno realized. Except that right now he was supposed to be angry and hurt. She had thought he was with _hookers_! Irritated at himself, Reno flopped onto the bed and shut his eyes. He had a headache coming on.

As he drifted off to sleep, the bedroom door opened slowly, and a figure peered in. The floorboards made no noise as the guest in Reno's bedroom proceeded to enter and walk towards the napping Turk.

* * *

Setting the boots aside, Yuffie flopped on the floor and stared at the ceiling. Putting a finger to her lips, she suddenly jumped back up again and whirled around for a moment. There were a couple things she knew. First, she had fucked it up with Reno, but how? Normally he wouldn't have cared about that comment that she had thrown casually. Second, she knew that the damage was repairable, and easily. All she had to do was go apologize in her Yuffie-like way, which consisted of not really apologizing but more like mumbling under her breath, shuffling her feet around a bit and then shouting "I'M SORRY!". Feeling heartened, the ninja prowled down the stairs, socked feet making no sound on the stairs. Very ninja-like indeed.

Once she got to Reno's door however, the slight princess paused. She turned the knob slowly and opened the door a sliver, peeking in to make sure the coast was clear. Reno was sprawled out on the bed looking very tired and very adorable. Yuffie strode slowly around to stand over the sleeping Turk's form. For once the mischievous smirk was wiped from his face, replaced by a more somber, calm expression.

Reaching out to brush a few stray strands of crimson hair away from his face, Yuffie's wrist was suddenly jerked around and she found herself underneath Reno with his EMR held at her throat. The Turk's eyes flashed open and took in who was under him, then they widened and he let her go.

"Leviathan, Yuffie! I'm sorry…I thought…" He trailed off as she burst into a fit of giggles.

"Geez…I know never to try and surprise you…I thought you were sleeping, Turkey!" Reno smirked a little as Yuffie continued to giggle, and he tossed his EMR to the side.

"Why are you sneaking into my bedroom anyways, princess? Ya know, it's inappropriate for royalty such as yourself to behave this way."

"Get bent, Turkey. I was, umm…coming to say…I'm sorry. Ya know, for earlier. I didn't really think you were out with hookers, it's just that…I go a little crazy when I'm cooped up…ninjas need room to flip around and stuff. And umm…thanks. For the boots…they're perfect." She fiddled with a lose string on his shirt and didn't meet his eyes until he laughed again. "What?"

"Nah…it's just that…that has got to be the most idiotic argument I've ever been in!" He threw his head back and crowed in mirth.

Yuffie laughed along with him for a little before she sobered and looked up at him. "Hey…Reno? Wanna get off me?" She was still underneath him as he held himself and his weight off her with his hands.

Sinking onto his elbows, Reno looked her directly in the eye. "Nope. I think I'm fine right here."

Doing her best to look threatening, Yuffie glared. "My father would have your head if he saw this."

"Well now, I guess it's a good thing he isn't here to see this, _princess_." And with that he closed the gap between their lips and Yuffie melted. The hand fiddling with his shirt fisted in the material and pulled the Turk closer as the kiss deepened. Yuffie was again struck by how much she liked kissing Reno. While she was still young, there had been a lot of guys, and while she hadn't gone _that_ far, she definitely wasn't inexperienced. But none of the guys she had ever played the proverbial "tonsil-hockey" with compared to Reno. The longer the kiss went on and the deeper it got, the more she began to lose herself in it.

When the duo surfaced, she looked at the Turk hovering above her with clouded eyes and claimed his lips again. The game of give-and-take went on until a loud rumble snapped both back to the reality outside of each other. Reno muttered a few choice words under his breath as he released Yuffie from underneath him and sat up, reaching for his PHS which was vibrating loudly on the bedside table.

"Yo," was the casual reply. But upon hearing the feminine, very angry voice on the other end, Reno's blood ran cold.

"Where is she?"

Now, there are very few things that could make a Turk freeze in fear, one of them being the horrendous situation of having said Turk's genitalia in the mouth of a rabid, hungry tiger (luckily, Reno escaped unharmed). Reno was currently facing the other one, and he had to admit, he would take a rabid tiger chomping on his balls over and angry Tifa Lockhart any day of the week. And possibly twice on Sundays.

Reno knew he was in deep shit as soon as he heard the barmaid's voice on the other end, but he decided to turn on the charm anyway, and he also sent a quick prayer to Shiva, that he wouldn't end up castrated by the martial artist.

"Tifa! This is a pleasant surprise; it's been so long, how are you?"

"Don't start with me, Turk. Where is Yuffie?"

"Well…it's funny that you ask that, Tifa. Yuffie is actually uh…currently living…with me?" The silence almost killed Reno.

"…why you?"

"Tifa…I ask myself that every day." To his great surprise, Tifa actually laughed a little.

"HEY! You're talking to Tifa??! Lemme talk, lemme talk, lemme talk!!!!" Yuffie snatched the phone away from the redhead, plopped herself in his lap, and began to chatter excitedly into the receiver. "TIFA! Oh my gawd, how are you? It feels like it's been forever…I know… yeah, well when you have a serial killer after you and Reeve is being an overprotective asswipe, there's not much you can do…yeah, everything's fine with Reno…well he's not that bad…no he hasn't touched me." At this Yuffie broke off and kissed Reno on the cheek before returning to the conversation as Reno watched, mystified. He never could follow women's conversations. "Where am I? In hiding, silly. Well I can't tell you where, Tif…I thought you were smarter than that. I suppose if I had a good reason I could escape for a day or two…OH MY GAWD CLOUD PROPOSED?!?! Well, _of course_ I'll be at the engagement party…what are you, CRAZY? I wouldn't miss that for the—Reno gimme the phone back!"

The Turk had grabbed the phone from the ninja in his lap and his voice was hard as he began, "Tifa? Yeah, let me talk to Yuffie for a moment and then I'll call you back." Snapping the phone shut, he looked at a very indignant Yuffie.

"What the hell was that for?"

"Do you honestly think I'm going to let you go to Tifa's bar for a party with our little killer still out there?"

"Just for a day or two! Reno, please! You'd come with me, and you could protect me, and it would be _fine_! We could even disguise me if we had to!"

"Yuffie…you'd be expected to be there, and if the killer is on the watch then I don't even wanna think about what could happen."

"What happened to the fun Reno? The Reno who took risks? Just because I'm your charge doesn't mean you can't take a risk now and then! Besides, Reeve and Rude and Tseng and Elena would be there too!" Reno paused and for a moment he was swayed. "They're my best friends Reno…I can't _not _be there."

Reno raked a hand through his hair as he met Yuffie's eyes. "Alright, princess… but I am not letting you out of my sight." Yuffie grinned wickedly.

"Fine with me, as long as we still get to do _this_." And she kissed him gently.

"Fine with me, as long as I don't end up with a Buster Sword up my ass." Yuffie pouted at him.

"Cloud wouldn't do that…and if he did I'd just All Creation _his_ ass." Reno winced at the memory of Yuffie's Limit Break…she had used it on him once and it hadn't been fun, _at all_. "Turkey! Call Tifa back! She needs to know we're coming, for sure."

Reno made the quick call and once he had hung up with the barmaid again, he turned to the shinobi at his side with a smirk. "So, princess…where were we?"

* * *

Tifa wanted to cry. Turning away from the main phone in Seventh Heaven, she dropped the act and faced her guest with dead eyes. "She's coming."

A smile lit up the man's face as he removed his gun from Denzel's head. "Good. And, I trust there will be no interferences. Otherwise…you'll never see the little girl again. If everything goes as planned…then she will be delivered to you unharmed—once I have Princess Kisaragi."

Clenching her jaw, Tifa nodded, feeling like a traitor. Where was her Premium Heart when she needed it? With a polite smile and nod, the man exited her bar. In order to spare Denzel and Marlene's lives, as well as her own…Tifa had made a deal with the Devil. No one could possibly be more evil than the serial killer who had just left her bar. She could only hope that Reno was keeping a very close watch on Yuffie at the party… Yuffie's life would depend on it.

* * *

(AN: Muahah! Sorry it's been such a long time guys, and sorry for this sad excuse of a chapter…I know it's short, but it's got a lot in it I think…at least at the end. As for the long delay, I have two words: Boarding School. Not only does it suck all creative incentive from my brain, it also gives me barely any time to work with what little creativity I have left, seeing as I go to school for half a day every Saturday. However! I'm going to be home for a good week, starting Saturday, so there should be oodles and bunches of updates in the following week. Thanks go out to my lovely reviewers, chibified kitsunes, Vampyric Ninja, otaku dreamer, Kaikai PANTS, Serenitychan13, and kawaiilucie, your guys are awesome, and your reviews really do keep me writing…even if it takes me a while to get chappies finished…and for all of you that aren't reviewing…umm you should! I'll send a thank you back, and you get fun stuff like cake and cookies and plushies…and you get a shoutout in the AN! Anyways, R&R as usual, and the next update will be a lot sooner, I promise!) 


	7. Status

Disclaimer: Still don't own Reno….I sent Square a letter but….sighs still got my serial killer though!

* * *

_The rain pounded on the concrete of Edge's streets as Jacob Draken returned to his small house on the outskirts of the city after his meeting with Tifa._

_In reality, it hadn't been a meeting at all, but more of a kidnapping. The small girl—Marlene—had come along easily enough with some bribes. It was old school stuff, promising candy and ice cream; very amateur, but it had worked in the end. In the end, she had come and he had drugged her into a peaceful sleep, left her in his van, and then returned to the bar. Once situated downstairs, he had waited. Soon enough, Denzel came careening downstairs looking for his playmate, and that part of the plan had gone flawlessly as well. And of course, once Tifa had come back to her bar, seen Jacob with a gun to Denzel's head, and learned of Marlene's fate…well, she had no choice but to agree to his plans. The mission was simple: get Princess Kisaragi to the house any way possible. It had all been easy, as the easily-manipulated barmaid already had her engagement party planned. Everything seemed almost too easy, but Jacob was growing impatient. The party was a few months away; plenty of time for him to wrap up his plans for once he had the Princess in his grasp. _

_Pouring a glass of whiskey, Jacob raised it in a toast to himself. A sinister chuckle rippled from his chest as he tossed his head back and let the fiery alcohol burn his throat. The Princess would be his…as long as her incompetent bodyguard didn't get in the way. _

_Behind him, bound and gagged on the floor, Marlene let out a tiny whimper, and a sadistic grin blossomed on the killer's face. Outside, the rain fell harder, its fast beating on the concrete matching the beating of Marlene's heart. _

* * *

­­­­­­­­ 

"Hey Turkey?" Yuffie started suddenly, "what's your last name?"

Outside the cozy house, a chill, October breeze rustle through bare trees, the leaves had abandoned their branches of security and were strewn everywhere. Those that remained in their lofty homes were rich colors of orange, red and yellow. Inside the house, it was warm, as it had been for the month that Reno and Yuffie had been living together. Tifa's party was still weeks away, not until the middle of December.

Reno looked up from the newspaper he had been reading in one of the squishy chairs in the living room. He looked the picture of seriousness, in contrast to Yuffie who was sitting wrong-way-up on the couch, with her legs thrust over the back of the couch and her head dangling down where her feet should have been. The blood rushing to her head caused her to look oddly flushed and as she blinked inquisitively at the Turk, he couldn't help but smirk.

"My last name?"

"Yeah! What is it? Oh, and when's your birthday?" Her childish enthusiasm amused Reno almost as much as her sitting position.

"What's up with the questions all of a sudden?"

"Well…you know my last name—Kisaragi, duh—and my birthday is November twentieth, and so it's only fair if you answer my questions."

"Alright…so if I answer yours, do I get some answers of my own?"

"Uhh…sure! Sounds like a good deal. For every question _I _ask, you get to ask me something."

"Alright…my birthday is February fourteenth—"

"Oh my gawd! _Valentine's Day!_"

"Yes, Valentine's Day, don't even start with the cracks. And my last name is… Damascus."

"Reno Damascus… doesn't sound like a slum name to me…sounds more like a name out of…I dunno a video game or something."

"Whatever, princess…my turn to ask the questions." His smirk held an unsettling amount of evil as he fixed his glinting eyes on the upside-down ninja. Yuffie gulped, beginning to think that this might have been a bad idea after all.

"Panties or thong?" Reno's smirk fell from his face as Yuffie lapsed into hysterics instead of the blushing scowl he had expected.

"You've already been through my underwear drawer once, but if you wanna waste one of your questions, Turkey, then be my—"

"Alright, fine _brat_! I was just joking around, yo." Wracking his brains for something that _would_ get a rise out of the ninja, Reno began to grin again.

"So Princess, just how pure is the Single White Rose of Wutai?"

"Huh?"

"Are ya a virgin?"

Again, Yuffie grinned widely at the Turk from her upside-down position on the couch. "Nope. I may not have assets like Tifa, but there are still some guys who like 'em with personality not physique."

Reno's jaw dropped and he looked roughly like he had just been hit by a chocobo going at full speed, jacked up on steroids. "How many guys?!" He demanded.

Yuffie's Cheshire cat grin just grew wider at the astonished look on the face of the man across the room from her. Flipping gracefully backwards and landing in a crouch, she slowly stood and sauntered over to the still shell-shocked redhead. Leaning in so that her lips were mere centimeters from his, taunting him with her lips, eyes, and seductive smirk. Aquamarine eyes glinted with expectation as they gazed into amused gray.

"Is someone _jealous_?" The thief's tone dripped with innocence; sticky and sweet, and sickeningly fake.

Reno worked hard to work composure into the muscles of his face, but they seemed too stubborn to reply. As always however, his vocal cords agreed with his lie as he smoothly replied, "Pfft, of the men who have been with _you_? You probably threatened to castrate them with your Conformer if they didn't fuck you."

Yuffie frowned slightly, and pulled away from him, pretending to leave the room. As she walked away, she brightened and glanced back over her shoulder. "Somehow…I don't think that Vincent would take me seriously if I threatened him like that…he didn't seem to need a lot of persuasion. But…if you're not jealous then I guess…" The girl caught a glimpse of the Turk's face and smirked, before heading into the kitchen.

"You…and Vincent…WHAT THE FUCK?!!" Reno roared from the other room, storming into the kitchen, his face matching his hair, and a frown was etched deep into his face.

Yuffie busied herself with cleaning up the counters, refusing to look at Reno for fear that her concrete composure would crack into fits of giggles at his expression. "I don't see why you're getting so worked up about it. It's not like you're _jealous_ or anything." And Yuffie found herself spun around and slammed into a wall with a very red Turk crushing his lips to hers. Grinning against his lips, she gave up her game and responded, gently nipping at his bottom lip. His rough hands came to rest lightly on her hips as she looped her arms around his neck, holding his body to hers…not that he was pulling away any time soon.

When the dysfunctional pair finally did part lips, Yuffie grinned at Reno cheekily. "Hey Turkey? I was kidding." Reno, still caught up with kissing the lithe ninja, was a little confused.

"Huh?"

Yuffie sighed and shook her head, gazing up at Reno with a small smile. "No, I did not have sex with Vincent Valentine. Gawd, he's too busy moping over Lucrecia to even think about anything sexual…plus, I'm a good 40 years younger than him, give or take. But, I have to admit, you are one adorable Turkey when you're jealous." Yuffie grinned and threw him a wink before wriggling out of his grasp and returning to the couch she had abandoned minutes before. Following her, still in a bit of a daze, Reno's brain finally caught up to the current situation, and he was a little embarrassed. Not much though.

"So…who _did_ you have sex with then?" He asked casually, trying to keep his true motives hidden, all the while feeling like Yuffie could see right through him. The ninja, who had resumed her inverted position on the cough, sighed and shook her head.

"No one, Reno. I'm as pure as the rose I'm named for." She grinned up at him comically, her inky black hair hanging off the cushions of the couch. "Well…maybe not perfectly _pure_, but I'm still a virgin. I just wanted to see how you'd react." Reno nodded stiffly and sat on the couch, right-side up as opposed to the girl beside him.

The silence dragged on as Yuffie began feeling giddy from the blood rushing to her head and Reno sat, brooding slightly.

"Reno, ya still got one more question before it's my turn." She reminded him happily.

He thought for a moment or two before staring straight ahead at the wall opposite both their forms. "What are we?" He refused to look at her as she giggled a little awkwardly.

"Well…I'm a ninja thief and princess, and _you're _a Turk and—"

"You know what I mean. What are _we_? The two of us?" Yuffie let her legs fall to one side as she pulled her head up onto the couch and rested it in Reno's lap. She stared up at him with contemplative eyes, flecked with bits of curiosity, before focusing her gaze on her hands in her lap.

"What do you _want_ us to be? I mean…we've been in this house for about a month now, and I know how _I _feel…but…you're Reno. The infamous Reno. The Reno who doesn't tie himself down to anyone. So…if you don't want anything _official_, then I can learn to deal with that." She trained her eyes back on Reno's face and watched the emotions and thought flickering through his aquamarine ones.

"But…I _do_ want it." The words were muttered softly, but his eyes never met with Yuffie's. She sat up quickly and whirled to face him on the couch.

"_WHAT??!!_" The shock was evident in every fiber of her being as he finally looked at her.

"Yuffs, I dunno what it is about you…and maybe it's because we've been stuck together alone for a while but…I don't want to see you with another guy. I may not be good enough for you, but none of the rest of those assholes on this Planet are either. And I don't want to be with anyone other than you." His eyes were lost, searching, waiting for Yuffie's reaction, to see what it would bring. She still continued to look shell-shocked.

"So…you want—"

"To be official. I want you to be my…girlfriend." There was a time when Reno would have been doubled over in hysteria at the thought of using the word "girlfriend" in reference to the ninja across from him. But watching her face light up with her trademark grin, he could only manage a satisfied smirk before she tackled him. In a world where there was so much darkness, especially for the duo, at least they could be happy in their isolation, as they tried to wait out impending evil.

Pulling back from the redhead—her _boyfriend_—Yuffie started laughing. Staring straight into his eyes, she stated simply, "Cloud is gonna _murder_ you!" before hopping up and running up the stairs to Leviathan-knows-where. Reno watched her go, his face paling. He had a horrible suspicion that as soon as the news about Gaia's newest dysfunctional couple got out, he was going to be facing an Ultima Weapon, Final Heaven, Missing Score, Limited Moon, Venus Gospel and Death Penalty. It sounded painful indeed. But as Yuffie's humming echoed down from upstairs, he figured the reward was worth the consequences.

* * *

Yuffie on the other hand, was in her room stretching. All these weeks of very little workout was beginning to worry her. She didn't want to lose her form, especially not when the possibility that she might have to face the killed was still present. Not that she didn't trust Reno to keep her safe, but she was also of a stubborn lot, and if life got too boring, or there was a threat too great to fend off, she wanted to be able to fight. Going from backbend to handstand and back again, she continued to twist and contort her body every way she could. If she could go outside for a little, she might be able to pull off some flips, but she didn't want to attempt them in the small bedroom. 

But she had _so_ much pent up energy! Yeah, running around the house worked off a small amount of it, but the days gave Yuffie a greater mental workout than a physical one, and it was starting to become a problem.

It was while Yuffie was standing in her room, finished with her stretches but still twitching a little bit, that she heard the drawl of Reno's voice behind her.

"Something wrong, kid? You look kind of jumpy."

She turned to face him and planted a hand on her hip. "I need to run around…or fight monsters…or something. Too much energy, ya know?" Reno's constant smirk grew more pronounced as he advanced into the room.

"Ya know, I can think of a way to fix that."

Yuffie cocked an eyebrow at him. "Are you trying to seduce me, Turkey?" Her eyes matched his for playfulness.

"Is it working?"

"Possibly. It all depends on what you have in mind."

"Well…this bed here has a new mattress, and I don't think it's been tested out before."

The shorter shinobi grinned up at the Turk in front of her, as he finally reached her and captured her lips with his.

* * *

(AN: Teehee! Okay, so if I'm overdoing the fluff, I would really like to know…cuz I don't _think_ I am, but I have been known to overindulge so…tell me if it's _too_ fluffy…if such a thing even exists. Sorry for such a long wait, and sorry about the semi-demi cliffhanger, but I'm trying to decide how the next scene is going to play out, if ya know what I mean. Thanks go out to MidnightXRequiem (yay roommates!!), Otaku Dreamer (yay cousins!!) Serenitychan13, Feloss, Vampyric Ninja, Kaikai PANTS, JingYee, Fallen-Yuki, Rush, Leilani Daniels, and Shroud of Twilight! You all get cookies and cake and whatever other treats you want cuz my birthday was on the 19th and Yuffie's was on the 20th, so it was just a wonderful week of birthdays and joyness. Hope you all liked this chappie—I'm trying to get better about updating…I know it's not working, but I am trying…R&R plz—it makes for a happy Bru!!! XD) 


	8. Ecstasy::Agony

(AN: WARNING!!! Not necessarily a lemon, but thick implications.)

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing but the thoughts in my head and the words they translate into…but I still _wish_ I owned Reno…

* * *

Yuffie's skin was burning—everywhere Reno touched he left trails of fire, scorching into her flesh and tightening the pit of her stomach. And then their lips found each other's. There was no talking needed between the two as their hands did the walking, the clothes decorating the floor the evidence. They had all the time in the world, but they stumbled over each other in their haste, the tint of cabin fever making both of them a little crazy. Crazy for escape. Crazy for release. Crazy for each other. The power struggle was a long one, both fighting for top bunk, Turk against ninja. The Turk eventually won over the ninja with whispered words that would have made her blush once, but at that moment only fueled the fire. Both were lost, lost in each other, lost to the world in more ways than one. They lost track of time, but had they ever really been paying attention? Aquamarine eyes met gray, mischief and thievery, assassin and rebel princess, slum-born and royalty, Turk and ninja. The two together made a deadly combination, even more fatal to each other. But desire matched desire and they were both in ecstasy. And it felt right to them, even if it was wrong to everyone else.

But their ecstasy was the agony of another.

_Marlene was numb. Something told her that what that man had done to her was very wrong...almost like she had done something wrong to deserve it. There was a deep chill, all the way to her core, and she felt disgusting to herself. She was only twelve, but still, Tifa had already that talk with her; she wasn't ignorant to what had happened to her…wasn't ignorant to the pain of being abused like that. She whimpered, trying to block out the memories, not even bothering to attempt an escape from the ropes binding her limbs anymore. But with the realization that she had been taken against her will came a frightening calm. She didn't—couldn't— feel. All she felt was a freezing numb. As she left her body and turned inside herself, she felt like an empty shell, devoid of the life that had once let her run gaily with Denzel. Her papa had told her at a very young age to never give up. But all thoughts had been numbed by the horror she went through only hours before. If she hid inside herself, maybe she wouldn't remember. Maybe she would heal. Maybe…_

_Outside the room, Jacob Draken sported a sadistic grin, crazed in a way. Because although he had said that he'd return the girl…he had never said it would be in one piece. _

* * *

Yuffie was vaguely aware that she was sleeping, but it was too deep a sleep for her to surface.

_Marlene couldn't fall asleep, fearing that the man would hurt her again, still trying to hide in the walls of her mind. _

The princess rolled over and balled up on her side, her back curled against something warm and smooth.

_The little girl shoved her back to the room's corner, trying to shrink into the walls and disappear forever. _

Something shifted beside Yuffie in the bed.

_Something moved in the darkness of the prison she was in. _

An arm wrapped around the ninja's waist protectively and she smiled slightly in her sleep.

_A hand clamped down on the small brunette child's arm, causing her to wince in pain. _

She turned over again; opening gray eyes to look at Reno's face.

_Her wide brown eyes darted around the room, looking anywhere but at her captor for fear that the look on his face would confirm her nightmares. _

"Hey you."

"_Hello my little prisoner."_

"Hey…"

"_Please…no…" _

Yuffie yawned and stretched as Reno smirked down at her.

_Marlene screamed and struggled as her captor's grip tightened on her arm. _

* * *

"Sleep well, kid?" Reno eyes gleamed with mischief as he questioned the lithe thief next to him. Yuffie grinned, thinking back to the previous night.

"I dunno…I'm still feeling pretty energetic…" She winked at him and moved to leave the warm bed, until a hand latched around her waist and pulled her back down.

"Well…we could fix that…" Reno trailed off huskily; nuzzling the back of her neck and making Yuffie shiver slightly. However, she squirmed out of his hold and disentangled herself from the sheets, padding over to her closet. As she pulled a tank top ever her head, she heard Reno musing in the other room.

"It's funny," he began "I never pegged you for a moaner…screamer yes, moaner no." Reno grinned as the ninja's face turned tomato red, but a sudden gleam in her eyes caused his smile to falter.

She was paused in the doorway, fully-dressed and about to head downstairs when she looked back over her shoulder and smirked. "Yeah, well…I never pegged _you_ for much of a begger, either." The Turk looked like he had been hit by a bus and scrambled out of the bed, hurrying to put his clothes on as well and catch up with the cheeky princess.

Downstairs, Yuffie already had eggs in a pan and was scrambling away, her hair up in a neat bun and humming to herself. What she had told Reno was true, she _did_ feel energetic, but it came with finally getting a good nights sleep, not because she was restless from lack of activity. And even though she was a little sore, the princess was still in an exceptionally amazing mood. So good was her mood that she was rather oblivious to what was going on around her, and didn't notice the figure creeping into the kitchen until it was too late and she was in a headlock.

"RENOOOOO!!! LEMME _GO_!!!" She wailed as he gave her a royal noogie.

"I dunno princess, maybe you should _beg_ for it." She could hear the smug grin in his voice and she sighed in exasperation.

"Sorry, you must be confused…the one who was begging was _you_ last—oof—night! The White Rose of Wutai begs for NOTHING! AND MY EGGS ARE BURNING!" Reno released her suddenly and shot a weird look at her abdomen as she whirled to face him. Following the direction of his eyes, Yuffie slapped a palm to her face in exasperation.

"Ack, Reno! Not _those_ eggs! Breakfast, you moron!"

It seemed like not even a night of wild sex could change the dysfunctional nature that was Reffie.

In the end, the eggs couldn't be saved from a crispy fate, and Yuffie forced Reno to eat them as punishment for messing up her hair.

Outside the warm house, the October winds were blowing, November already on its way. The time was lost on both occupants of the house, because all the days were much the same. During the day, the house was filled with banter, and two bored people finding random ways to pass the time. The nights were filled with pent-up passion and energy mixed in one bed. But while the days and nights all _seemed_ to be routine at a glance, they were kind of like snowflakes—all the same until you look closely and then each flake is unique.

As the weeks passed, the hyperactive ninja and mischievous Turk grew closer than either had ever thought possible, their bond made strong by the lack of intrusion on their actions with each other. Not to say that they were head-over-heels, ready for _marriage_ or even close to that, because that's not the kind of people that they were. More like they were heels-over-head, feverishly addicted to the other. Yuffie might have called it love if she dared bring the word up in front of Reno, while the redhead would have called it something along the lines of a flesh-eating disease. Not a _bad_ flesh-eating disease, mind you…an enjoyable one.

* * *

"So…truth or dare."

"Yuf, I already told you, I don't wanna play anymore stupid games."

"So…truth or dare."

"I'm not gonna play, Yuffie!"

"So…truth or—"

"BRAT! I SAID NO ALREADY!" Reno lunged out of his chair to plant himself firmly in front of Yuffie's couch, where she was currently lounging, and glare at her. He wasn't really mad with her…he could never be mad with Yuffie…he was just annoyed by her antics sometimes. There was a slight pause.

"So…truth or dare."

Reno raked a hand through his spikes as he finally met her eyes. "Truth." Goddamn those innocent gray eyes.

Yuffie didn't even skip a beat. "What's your biggest fear?"

The Turk considered. There wasn't a lot he was afraid of, to be honest. That was coming from a truthful standpoint, not a cocky or "manly" one. He had been through enough as a Turk to know that fear was a bad thing, and fears were best gotten over or else you could just end up fucking up on a mission. Yuffie waited impatiently, tapping one foot on the arm of the couch and fiddling with a string on her shorts.

Reno settled back into his armchair before answering. "Being alone. Losing everything and everyone I love. Being helpless." The Wutaiian's wide eyes stared at him from her place on the couch.

"Wow…that was deeper than I thought it would be."

"That's what she said."

"Way to kill it."

He ignored her. "What about your biggest fear?"

Yuffie's answer was instant. "Having someone I love die right in front of my eyes."

"I figured."

Yuffie snapped her head up to look at him. "Huh?"

Reno shrugged. "Spike told me about…Aeris." He said the name gently, and his eyes were soft as he watched pain shoot through Yuffie's. After a few moment of silence he motioned to the younger woman. "Come sit with me." She got up slowly and perched herself in his lap, her eyes still seeing things that were far away and in the past.

"My mom, too." Yuffie whispered.

"You don't hafta talk about it, if you don't want to." The redhead tried to be understanding, but he was a little curious as well.

"It was in the war. She was an amazing fighter…an amazing ninja. I used to wish that I was as strong as she was." Yuffie chuckled at something Reno couldn't grasp. "I used to think she was invincible. Until…Sephiroth…just like with Aeris. Stabbed her with his Masamune right through the spine. And I couldn't do anything to help her…just like with Aeris. I just hid like a coward and watched it all happen. I used to have nightmares about it until…" She trailed off, the happy, hyper ninja that Reno knew and loved temporarily replaced by her understudy: a mature, woman who had seen too much at too young an age.

"Until…?"

"Until I started living with you." A smile cracked through the cloud of gloom that had settled over Yuffie's features, and as Reno smiled back, the sun returned to her eyes. Dysfunctional they may be, in-love-but-not-so-willing-to-admit-it, at least they could make each other smile.

* * *

"Hey Reno? What's the date?" The girl's voice took Reno by surprise as he had no idea where it was coming from. Looking up, he saw her hanging calmly upside-down from a light fixture…and decided to ignore that insignificant detail.

"Uh…November nineteenth…why?"

"Well, number one, because my birthday's tomorrow and I fully expect an awesome present from you, and number two, because I want to know how much longer until the engagement party! It's what…like three weeks away? Ohmygawd, I can't wait!" She squealed and clapped her hands, and as the light fixture swung a little, Reno's stomach dropped at visions of his ninja plummeting to the ground.

"So, if you want an awesome present, you know that means I have to leave you alone in the house while I go get it…right?"

"Yup…I know. I'll be fine, just lock me in my bedroom again…and double-check the windows…all that good stuff."

"You're sure? You're not gonna try and run away from me again, are you?"

"Nope! I swear on my Materia. Just…don't take too long. And….CATCH ME!" Releasing her grip on the light she had been dangling from, the girl was falling towards the Turk, and _thank Leviathan_ he had good reflexes, otherwise he might not have caught her in time.

"Way to give me a heart-attack, brat."

"Hey! Don't call me that!" She squirmed to get away, but Reno kept a firm hold on her.

"Nah ah ah, princess. You're mine now…" And then he pulled her to him in a rough kiss as he carried her up the stairs towards their bedroom. Setting Yuffie on the bed, he continued to kiss her silly until she was pretty sure they were about to go at it…and then he broke away, turned around and left the room, shutting the door behind him.

"Hey! _Turkey_!!! That's no fair!"

Poking his head back into the room, Reno smirked. "Sorry, kid. I got some shopping to do…you'll just have to wait." And then he was gone, a small _click_ letting the lone young woman know he had locked the door.

Flopping back on the bed, spread eagle, Yuffie glared at the ceiling. "I hate waiting." She muttered blackly.

* * *

_Miles away, back in Edge, Jacob Draken was getting restless. The trap was so close to being set…he couldn't wait any longer. But it was necessary. Yes, the young girl was keeping him entertained for the time being, but he wanted the princess. And he wanted her now. Reason told him to wait and be patient, desire told him to screw the plan and try to find where she was hidden. But no one knew, not even that insolent leader of the Turks. So Jacob would bide his time and ponder over what it would be like…killing Yuffie Kisaragi. _

* * *

(AN" Okay so…I sincerely apologize for what happened to Marlene. To be honest, I really didn't want to write something like that in here, but it's one of those things that I felt had to be put in. Because, while this is a fluffy, cute romance fic, it also has a darker shade to it, and I guess I kinda thought that needed to come out more. Oh, and sorry if there was an overload of parallels between Reno&Yuffie and Marlene. Anyways…YAY FOR ALMOST LEMONS!!! I wouldn't expect a full-out descriptive smutty lemon from me if I were you, readers, because it's most likely not gonna happen in this fic. Implications is a close as it gets. Umm, anyways, THANK YOU REVIEWERS!!! I love you all, and you all get…candy canes and gingerbread houses with your choice of a Christmas tree or menorah, or any other holiday item you might use to celebrate to upcoming holiday season! Thanks go out to ::drumroll:: Serenitychan13! Otaku dreamer! JingYee! Vampyric Ninja! MidnightXRequiem! Feloss! And Little Wekkaroo! Thanks so much, all of you and a double-uber-super-duper thank you to MidnightXRequiem, my awesome roommate and BETA-er, who gets some of my worst ideas thrown at her. Until next time my Kupos…) 


	9. Deceptions and the Confused

Disclaimer: sighs Still don't own anything…YAY SQUARE!

* * *

"Reeve…we have to tell the people. We can't keep this a secret for much longer." Tseng's face was grave as he faced his friend. The man under scrutiny looked down at the sheets of paper in front of him. 

"How many?" His voice was quiet…pained.

"Five hundred and seventy exactly. The bodies were found buried into the foundation of a house. The name of the last owner was Jack Driscoll. It's an alias, and we haven't been able to track down who the real person is, but we have every reason to believe it's our killer. He's been collecting them over this past year…most of the bodies are decomposed beyond physical recognition—they weren't preserved well. The families who filed missing person's reports from the past year are being contacted for DNA samples and for closure…but we need to take this public."

"WHY?" Reeve suddenly shouted, jumping up from his chair. "So we can cause even more panic then is already circulating?! What good will it do, Tseng? You know Gaia has been peaceful for the past three years, other than the butting heads between Shin-Ra and Wutai…what good will it do to tell everyone that there is a sick and twisted predator out there? They already know…they don't need the extent of it. Besides, the murders have gone away…ever since Yuffie went into hiding. People have calmed down. What good will it do to stir it up again?"

"The public needs to know just how serious it is, was and could become. We found _five hundred__ and seventy_ dead girls buried in a basement! All killed by one man!"

"Why…why did he come public when he did? All those months ago…why would he keep so many murders a secret and then all of a sudden emerge into the public?"

"I don't know…does it have to do with Yuffie? Since we put her into hiding, the murders _have_ stopped. Or at least the public murders. He must have something planned."

The doors of Reeve's office were suddenly thrown open and in strode Rufus Shin-Ra, looking perfectly groomed, yet rather appalled. "How did we let this happen? _Six__ hundred_ girls go missing in the space of a year, and we don't notice?"

"Kidnappings aren't that uncommon, even in Gaia." Tseng began, taking on a formal air in his boss's presence.

"Bullshit, Tseng. Nearly six hundred girls go missing solely from Edge in the space of a year. This is ridiculous. What will the people think of me?" Reeve rolled his eyes slightly at the focus of Rufus's concern.

"Only that you're a busy man, sir—" Tseng began, but Rufus cut him off.

"Tseng. I want this man caught. Get on the origins of that alias, or whatever! Get this taken care of, or I swear to Odin…" He left the threat trail off as his focus turned to Reeve. "Reeve. Get me updates on Reno and the Kisaragi girl. I want reports by the end of the day." He turned on his heel and left the comfy office.

"Sure…I'll have reports on both of them…if they haven't killed each other yet." The shadow of a smile illuminated Reeve's face for a moment before the darkness of the whole situation set in again. Tseng forced a grin from the other side of the room.

"I don't know, Reeve. My money's on the two of them getting together."

"Yuffie and _Reno_?! You know how much she hates him."

"I wouldn't be so sure. But that isn't the point, is it? We have bigger problems to deal with."

The two men nodded to each other, responsibilities remembered, before Tseng left the office and Reeve somberly returned to his desk.

* * *

Yuffie had a plan. As much as she loved Reno, he had been a big jerk-face to her that morning. _No one_ justleaves the GREAT Ninja Master and White Rose of Wutai, Yuffie Kisaragi, breathless and gasping and wanting more, least of all Reno. While that was a bit of a lie, seeing as he was the one most likely to do so, Yuffie needed revenge—even if he was out buying her a birthday present. And she had a damn good plan. 

You see, as exhibited in moments of weakness on the manly scale, Reno had a problem with rejection, and a sex drive that doesn't leave room for said rejection. Reno had never really gotten rejected, so it had never been an issue, but he had a problem with the _idea_ of rejection anyway. Yuffie had realized this during her hours locked in her room and—with the air of mischievousness that came with being a ninja _and_ a princess—she planned to make full use of that knowledge.

So, as soon as the crunch of gravel alerted her to Reno's return, the small shinobi grinned evilly, stormy eyes blazing with excitement. _Gawd_ how she loved a good, sadistic scheme.

However, the target of her plotting was completely oblivious to what he was going to be forced to endure. He couldn't know that his teasing actions from the morning would end up leaving him high and dry with his girlfriend. He was more preoccupied with wonderings of if she would like what he had bought for her. Letting himself into the house and striding up the stairs in mud-caked boots, the redhead unknowingly walked into his conniving girlfriend's trap. It wouldn't be the last time he walked into a trap, but the next one would be much more dangerous.

* * *

_A few weeks earlier, maybe a month after her abduction, Marlene had done some serious thinking. _

_Marlene Wallace was never one to go down without a fight. Her adopted father had engrained it into her mind at an early age that she should never give up; no matter how stacked the odds were against her. So, despite the cuts, scrapes, bruises, and other wounds inflicted by her captor, she had been trying to devise a plot for escaping the hell hole she had landed in. _

_While she was able to block out the physical pain by a mental eclipse of planning, the emotional scars were not forgotten so easily. But she had to try and forget, had to try and force the scars to fade. Survival was the only thing that mattered now. Marlene was a young girl, being forced to mature beyond her years in such a short period of time. But she _would _mature, she _would_ escape; she had to. It was escape of succumb to the pain; become and lifeless shell of the girl she had once been. It was during these thoughts that an idea had struck her, clear as lightning. _

_Her Aunt Yuffie had __once explained to Marlene an important part of sparring and dueling. The younger girl could remember it clearly because Yuffie had actually been serious for once._

_"The thing about dueling, Marly, is that it's just you and the other person, and it's just as much a mental battle as it is a physical one. Your opponent will be trying to figure out your plan by watching you. They'll try and get inside your head to figure out what you'll do next, just by observing your movements." _

_"So what do I do?" Marlene had asked, eyes wide with curiosity and wonder. Yuffie smiled slightly before launching back into her lesson._

_"Do the exact opposite of what they're expecting. Keep up a patterned chain of actions and then break it in the biggest way possible. Catch your enemy off guard. It's also important to never let your own expectations get the better of you, or else your enemy might pull the same trick on _you_." _

_And so, jerking back from her memories, Marlene had come to the realization that she was going to have to take the bad man by surprise; break her pattern somehow and earn his trust. Then, she would fly the coop when he least expected it. But breaking her pattern meant that she was going to have t__o__ start enjoying—or pretending to, at least—the things he did to her. She has shuddered at the thought. _

_That had been weeks ago, and Marlene _had_ been able to earn his trust. It wasn't easy at first, to turn her whimpers of fear into sounds of pleasure, but somehow she had managed to swallow her own repulsion and fake it. If multiple-personality disorders are consciously developed, Marlene __had definitely acquired one. She referred to her as Tiffany; Tiffany was the one who liked what Jacob (his name had been learned with the trust he had built up of Marlene) did to her. Tiffany was the one who had convinced Jacob that she loved him and wanted to stay with him, never returning to her real family. And Tiffany was the one that kept Marlene from completely dying. _

_Jacob had__ never experienced this before. He had never actually had someone enjoy his touch, relish his company, and it was definitely a new feeling. If he hadn't been so evil to the core, it might have changed him, but some people are beyond repair. Still, he trusted the young girl, enough to leave her alone sometimes. Most of the time, he kept her locked in her cell, but one day he was distracted. His old house had been discovered, as had the bodies of his other victims; girls he had taken advantage of and killed, then buried in the soft foundation of his house. It didn't panic him _too_ much, but he wanted to get out into the public and see what people were saying, hear what the official report had been._

_Marlene was cleaning his kitchen when she heard him call her. Tiffany rose in her consciousness offering to take over and Marlene was more than happy to let her. _

_"Tiffany!" Jacob's normally calm voice was a bit frazzled, but by the time Tiffany had reached the__ foyer, he had composed himself. Marlene had given him the false name all those weeks ago; a small attempt at hiding her true identity, even though he knew where she lived with Tifa._

_"Yes, my lord master?" Jacob liked the feeling of authority the (ridiculous) name gave him. _

_"I'm going out, my dear. I trust you can hold down the fort until I get back?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Good, my pet. I'll be back soon." He smiled in a sickeningly sweet way before taking her face in his hands and kissing her fully on the mouth. Marlene screamed but Tiffany smiled and spoke the words that would have killed Marlene if it had been her in her consciousness speaking them._

_"I love you."_

_"I know, dear one. I'll be back soon." And the he was gone. Tiffany faded and Marlene returned, wanting to run and brush her teeth and curl into a ball and sob. Instead, she straightened her shoulders and waited for ten minutes. Then, she ran. _

_Even if she reached Tifa's bar unnoticed, Marlene knew she wasn't immediately safe. Her abduction was part of a bigger scheme of things, of that she was certain. She could only hope that maybe her Papa would bring her back to Corel, away from the bad man. If anyone could take care of her best, it was her Papa. She missed him sorely. Her feet pounded on as she sprinted through the back alleys, Edge's layout memorized for years. Her heart matched the pounding of her feet as Tifa's bar came into view._

* * *

"Hey, princess." Reno swung into the room, dropping his bags and leaning over Yuffie's relaxed figure on the bed to try and kiss her silly. She responded, but only for a few precious moments before she broke away. 

"Hello there." She grinned, and Reno paled a little under his tattoos and freckles. He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something evil in the way she was smiling at him, some strange glint in her eye. The Turk chose to ignore it and leaned back in to kiss Yuffie further, but she turned away at the last second.

"Nuh-uh. Not yet, buddy. I haven't eaten in hours, remember?" Reno sighed and slung his arm around her shoulder as the lithe young woman passed by him on her way to the kitchen. He sat in silence, watching the practiced, deliberate air with which she ate. It was all very un-Yuffie like. It wasn't until later that night, when they were both warm under the covers of his bed, that he began to really, truly realize something was up.

Nuzzling into the back of her neck, Reno had asked the fatal question. "So kid, what do you want to do?" His tone was suggestive, and the shin obi being questioned smirked. He was walking right into her trap. Yuffie had flipped around in his arms and stretched her face to his, kissing the Turk with such force that Reno figured he was forgiven for leaving her earlier. But then Yuffie had smiled sweetly and said the two words that no man wants to hear when he thinks he's about to get some.

"Let's talk."

The redhead was a little thrown, but after a slight head-scratch he had shrugged. "What do ya wanna talk about?"

Inside, Yuffie began to pout. He wasn't supposed to go along with her. The princess knew that she was going to need to pull out all the stops, "How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days"-style. Not that she wanted to lose Reno.

"Oh…I dunno. How are you feeling? You've gotta be getting bored of all this holding me hostage stuff."

It was the wrong thing to say, because Reno's suspicions suddenly clicked into place. His entirely inaccurate suspicions, that is.

"Yuffie…drop it. Now I _know_ what you're planning, and it's not gonna work, you know."

Plastering an innocent expression on her face and raising her voice an octave, Yuffie was the picture of innocence as she began the first denial on her long list of them. "I don't know what you're talking about. I just wanted to talk about your feelings. I mean, _I'd_ be bored if I were you. I'm really not great company, I'm afraid." The small ninja was slightly confused, because he sounded angrier than she had expected he would get after a small deprivation of sex. Maybe that one rumor about Reno being an abusive sex addict was true…

"Yuffie, do you know how much trouble I'd get in if I let you get away with what you have in mind? I'd lose my job, let alone Cloud would probably kick my ass."

Now Yuffie was _definitely _confused. What was he talking about? And then she figured it out.

"What does Cloud and your job have to do with anything? WAIT! OHMYGAWD!" Yuffie sat up in bed and jammed an accusing index finger into Reno's chest. "This was all a setup, wasn't it?! There is no serial killer, and I can't deny you sex because it was just your job to…to…_defile_ me! And then Godo was gonna find out that we had sex, and probably disown me cuz you're a Turk and then there wouldn't be and heir, although he'd probably just change the will and give the throne to Chekkov or someone…and THEN Shin-Ra could take over Wutai!" Yuffie's eyes were bright with anger as she discovered the "true" meaning of Reno's job. "I can't believe what a scumbag you are!"

Now it was Reno's turn to be bewildered. He had thought she was planning another way to escape, and all of a sudden she was rambling about being defiled and how much of a dirtbag he was…

"What the hell are you talking about, Yuffie?"

"What the hell are _you_ talking about?"

Raking a hand through his spikes, Reno sat up and faced Yuffie, running back through her words. Realization dawning on the redhead he started laughing. "You were gonna deny me _sex? Why?_"

Yuffie was back to fuming, although for a different reason—she _hated _people laughing at her. "To see if you like a taste of your own medicine! What did you _think_ I was doing?"

"I thought you were gonna try and escape again…" As the situation settled on the young couple, they were both overcome by fits of hysteria.

When she could breathe again, Yuffie sighed. "Well…I feel stupid now." Reno chuckled and pulled her towards him.

"Well…I'm not gonna say that you should feel _intelligent_, 'cause I think that might be impossible for you, princess." At her indignant cry, he held her tighter to prevent her from squirming away and hitting him. "But I _am_ sorry about earlier. Still…it was funny to watch your face."

"I can imagine…" Yuffie grumbled into his chest as she settled more comfortably onto his lap.

"It wouldn't have worked anyway." At a questioning glance from the ninja in his lap, Reno explained, "Even though everyone seems to think otherwise, I _am_ capable of having a relationship that is based on more than sex. It just takes one hell of a girl to keep my attention for long enough." Reno smiled down at her as he said that. It was the closest he had come to voicing the three words that would've said it all. They both felt it, but neither felt the need to say it.

Instead, they fell asleep sitting like that—Reno leaning against the headboard with Yuffie curled in his lap. They remained that way until morning, when a loud buzzing woke them. Mumbling a low oath, Reno reached across the groaning ninja to snag his PHS from the bedside table.

"Yo. Do you have any idea what time it is Reeve?"

"You know, Reno, if you were still working office hours, you would've been at work two hours ago."

"Yeah, well fuck office hours, I like this job. What's up?"

"Just checking in on Rufus's orders. Tell Yuffie I say happy birthday, by the way. So…um…_why_ do you like the job so much?" Reno rolled his eyes. He could only imagine the bets going around at Shin-Ra HQ. You put a fiery Reno and a feisty Yuffie in a constant, one-on-one situation and they're bound to either fall for each other or kill each other. Sometimes both.

""Cause I get to annoy everyone's least favorite brat, why else?" Reno winked at Yuffie who glared.

"Ah. I see. But you're both fine?" Reeve's satisfaction at that answer was poorly disguised.

Ignoring the posed question, Reno asked one of his own. "So let me guess…you've bet that we'll annoy each other to death, and Tseng thinks we're gonna end up fucking?"

"I don't know what you mean, and is it really necessary to be so vulgar?"

"Of course. You and Tseng gossip like old women. But yes, we are both fine and I'm hanging up now."

"Reno, wait—" The phone snapped shut.

Yuffie grinned at the Turk next to her. "So…how much money is Tseng gonna win?"

"No idea…Reeve was trying to play innocent." Taking Yuffie's face in his, their lips were about to meet but then Yuffie turned away and glared.

"And who says I'm everyone's least favorite brat? It's my birthday, be nice to me!" Her eye were playfully mad, but Reno could sense a bit of sadness deep down.

"Don't worry, princess. You are _my_ very favorite brat." He sealed the backwards compliment with a kiss so deep that he had Yuffie blushing.

The PHS continued to vibrate as Reeve tried in vain to reach Reno again. Both ninja and Turk chose to ignore it for each other. That was how Reeve failed to tell Reno of the new death toll caused by the rampant killer, and Reno failed to tell Reeve of Yuffie's plans to attend Tifa's party. Had either pieces of information been traded, some things might have turned out differently…but then again, they might not have.

* * *

"So, Turkey…what did ya get me? After all, it _is _my birthday." Yuffie's gray eyes were gleaming with a barely contained excitement as she sat cross-legged on the bed. Reno held back a smirk before bringing out a few wrapped packages. 

"I actually paid Valentine a visit and got his help with some of these. So I guess they're partly from him and mostly from me." Yuffie tore into the rectangular parcels and almost burst into (embarrassing) tears. "I know you miss them a lot…" Reno explained gently.

Inside simple frames were pictures of all her friends; some were posed, but most were candids. There were pictures from the days of Meteor, DeepGround and all the times in between. Aeris was even in a few.

"Reno, thank you so much!" She threw herself at him, nearly squeezing the life out of the Turk before returning to drinking in the sights of the pictures. She hadn't realized how much she missed her friends until now. Reno had such a huge personality that he had filled the places as best as he could, but now she wouldn't need to miss them as much.

"No problem, Yuffs. It was my idea, but I had to get the pictures from somewhere, so Vincent helped me out."

"You went back to Seventh Heaven?! Was Tifa there?"

"No, but Cid and Shera were. Shera helped me with my other present. Go look in the closet." The ninja bounded over the closet and threw open the doors before whirling with a huge grin. Hanging directly across from the door was a simple dress, more of a kimono than an actual dress, but it blended the styles of Wutai with the styles of Midgar perfectly. It was dark red, and simple, not some gaudy thing that Tifa would've forced Yuffie into. The young princess knew immediately that this really did mean Reno was going to let her go to the party in two weeks. Where else would she wear something like that?

"I kinda had to guess your size, but Shera helped so it should fit—" He was cut off but a flying ball of Yuffie knocking him back onto her bed.

"Thank you so fucking much!" Then his air was cut off as Yuffie claimed his lips with a vengeance. It was a bit of a roll-reversal, but he didn't mind _too_ much. When they surfaced, Yuffie looked Reno right in the eyes before asking, "What would I do without you?"

Reno shrugged casually. "Either die of boredom or try seducing Reeve…I know you have a thing for him."

Yuffie cracked up at that. "Silly Turkey. If I can't have you, I won't have anyone." Reno's idiotic grin matched Yuffie's and his heart gave a very unmanly stutter. Not that he cared, because by that point he was kissing Yuffie again.

* * *

(AN: Longest chapter yet, alright! Again, sorry for the late update, I wasn't near a computer at all during my winter break…HAPPY NEW YEAR! Thanks go out to: Leilani Daniels, otaku dreamer, Vampyric Ninja, Kaikai PANTS, Jing Yee, Serenitychan13, and Fraggy-Doodles! Thanks guys, hopefully you'll drop a review for this chapter as well! Reviewers will receive… a pint of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream and my undying love! R&R) 


	10. Betrayal

Disclaimer: Don't own anything. That would be Square's job to make the moolah off of FFVII…T.T

* * *

"Hey Reno?" Yuffie's voice cut through the Turk's half-asleep stupor like a knife, and he propped himself on an elbow to look at he shadowed face. The only light illuminating the room was the soft glow that the full moon cast on both Turk and ninja. 

"Yeah, princess?"

"There's something I don't understand…" Her voice was quiet and subdued, almost sad to Reno's ears.

"Hm? What's wrong?"

"Well…" she seemed to hesitate before speaking again. "I'm one of the best fighters Gaia's ever seen—not to brag or anything, but you know it's true—so how come I can't help out in trying to catch that sick creep? I get that I'm valuable to Wutai's future… but didn't I have a bigger chance of dying facing off against Sephiroth and Deepground than against one stupid man? Aren't Reeve and Tseng being just a _little_ bit overprotective?" Reno sighed slightly. He knew she had a point, and had had a point every time she claimed she could take the killer.

"Yuffs…" He began but she cut him off.

"I_know_! Tseng would have your head if you let me out of your sight but…what if…what if we went, you and me, after the party or something. I could lift the files on these guys from ShinRa HQ and then you could come with me and help me! After all…" she smirked, "I never got to fight alongside you…just against you. It could be fun. Then, after we get rid of the creep, Tseng couldn't be mad at us because we would've been the ones to get rid of the killer."

"Yuffie…" There was a long pause as they looked at each other through blackness of the moonlit room. "You're right."

"_I AM?!_" Reno found her shock to be quite amusing as he smirked at her.

"Nope. Sorry princess…just fucking with ya. OUCH!" She punched his arm with all her might. "_Alright_, so you are right. After Tifa's party next week, we'll sneak over to Headquarters and you can steal whatever the hell you need. Then we'll go after this asshole. You and me have been cooped up away from the action for too long anyway."

"Well….that's not necessarily true…there has been _some_ action going on…" Yuffie grinned at her Turk as he mock-glared at her.

"I thought it was my job to come up with the perverted lines, yo."

Yuffie shrugged, "You were bound to rub off at some point, ya know." Then, she simply leaned over and kissed him.

* * *

It had been another quiet day at the bar when Tifa heard the pounding at the front door. Striding out from the back room, Tifa's heart constricted in her chest before she ran to the door with a high pitch shriek of "_Marlene!_" 

As soon as the glass door swung open, a bawling, terrified Marlene threw herself into Tifa's arms, crying out intelligibly. Tifa just wrapped her arms around the younger girl and held her close as tears of her own rolled down her cheeks and dripped into Marlene's dark hair. The two just stayed like that clutching each other, each one's tears of joy and fear and relief mingling with the others. It may have been five minutes later, or maybe it was an hour when footfalls were heard on the stairs and Cloud entered the main room as well. Aqua eyes took in the sight of disheveled Marlene and hysterical Tifa before realization actually began to dawn on the swordsman.

"Marlene…Marlene!" He strode towards her, not a complete sprint as Tifa's gait had been, but close enough. The barmaid pulled back so that he could encircle the younger brunette in his arms. At his touch however, Marlene leaped back like she had been scalded and stared up at him with wide, disturbed eyes.

"Don't! Don't touch me! PLEASE DON'T TOUCH ME! NO! NONONONONO!" Her howls continued as a shocked Tifa and Cloud stared on helplessly trying to calm her down without touching her.

In the end, Cloud left the bar entirely, Fenrir growling and spurting out dust from the wheels as it sped towards Junon and then further on to Corel; the blonde hero off to get Barret to come see his daughter for the first time in months. With the only male out of her presence, Marlene calmed down enough to slump into Tifa's arms and finally fall silent. Bringing the young girl into one of the bar's booths, Tifa brushed an errant strand of hair from her face. The one thing that stood out on the young girl were her scars, bright white and raised, encircling her wrists with their jagged forms.

"…What did he do to you?" was all she could whisper.

"He…he hurt me. He…_raped_ me, Tifa! He just… I couldn't… he wouldn't stop… it all hurt so bad and I just… AND I HAD TO _LIKE_ IT! If I…if I liked it…it didn't hurt as much and after a while…I just didn't feel it anymore and then…he started trusting me and then I…IT WAS AWFUL AND I COULDN'T STOP HIM AND HE TOLD ME IT WAS ALL MY FAULT WHAT HE WOULD DO TO AUNT YUFFIE… and I just…I ran as soon as I could and WHERE'S AUNT YUFFIE?!" By this point, Marlene was thrashing in Tifa's grasp, and Denzel was running into the room, and all Marlene could shriek about was the pain or where Yuffie was, and realization hit Tifa like a truck that_Marlene was back and Jacob's plan to hold her as a hostage for the promise of Yuffie had been thwarted for the meantime and Yuffie was still going to walk right into his trap and it was a trap that__**she had helped him set.**_

It took an hour for Marlene to calm down again and fall asleep in her old room, and only then could Tifa explain things to Denzel and really begin to _**think**_ about what she had done. A call came in from Cloud; Barret was on his way and the rest of the group was assembling in Rocketown to make the trip to the bar. The entire group, minus Yuffie of course. That brought Tifa back to her pondering.

She could still have the party, and have the whole group take out Jacob…but what if he had a leverage that she didn't see? He probably had something over her other than Marlene…and he could always just capture the girl again if Yuffie wasn't delivered to him on a silver platter. But what if they didn't bring Marlene? What if they warned Yuffie? No dice on either option…Jacob would, no doubt, have backup plans.

Tifa's musings came to rest on one fact: She was a horrible friend. She should have done _something_ when Jacob had first come to her bar…instead she let him place a gun to Denzel's head, inform her that he had Marlene in his greasy clutches and then she had agreed to handing over her best friend for his personal pleasure. The thoughts and self-abuse tumbled through Tifa's mind as her breathing grew erratic and she began to pace. Slamming her fist into a wall, the barmaid did something she had never done in all her years of bartending. She stormed behind the bar, grabbed the biggest jug of Absolut she could find and began gulping straight from the bottle.

"Drinking on the job? My, my, my…_what_ an example, my dear." Already a little tipsy from slamming down so much in so diminutive a time, Tifa whirled to face, in her mind, the Devil himself.

"What the _fuck_ do you want, asshole?" She flung the words at Jacob's smiling face as she reached for her Premium Heart. Not that she could actually use it in her falling condition, but that wasn't the point.

"I merely came to congratulate your girl…not many have ever outsmarted me, and she certainly did a good job of it. She has…truly _earned_ her freedom. However, I would also like to tell you that—pardon me if this sounds a bit corny—I know where you live. If Princess Kisaragi is not delivered to me…well, I will remain a threat as long as you hold this residence…and probably even if you left it. Word of change spreads fast, as you must know already." He began walking towards Tifa, unperturbed as her glazed eyes glared daggers through his being. He met her at the bar and in a quick motion that she couldn't follow in her not-so-lucid state, Jacob had her slammed against the bar with his hand around her throat. "I can_break_ you," He snarled into her face. "Never forget that." Releasing her, the killer simply nodded, turned, and left the bar. Tifa snorted at the irony as the happy little bell above the door rang at his departure. To her credit, she had not shown fear once throughout his act.

In a way Jacob's visit had made her decision easier, Tifa realized—easier, but none the less painful. The party would have to continue…and Yuffie's kidnapping would have to go forward without a hitch. Tifa began to hate herself a little.

* * *

"Okay, Barret…Marlene's a little…shaken. I know you're not happy with Tifa for what happened to her in the first place, but please…she's upset enough over Marlene's condition as it is." Cloud was holding Barret back from the bar's entrance with his icy stare, attempting to prep the larger man for what might greet him inside. 

"Dammit, I know! I forgave Tif…I know it wasn' her fault…now let me see my baby girl!" Barret shoved Cloud out of the way and lumbered on into the bar. The blond sighed slightly before following with more caution than his friend had used.

Inside, Tifa had an arm draped around Marlene's shoulders and the both fixed their eyes warily on Barret. Marlene's eyes were veiled with a dark look, unsure of what she should be feeling.

"Marly…don't you want to say hi to your papa?" Tifa spoke softly to the girl who's eyes flickered a bit before going dark once more. Barret moved towards his daughter quickly, too quickly, and a horrifying scream tore from her throat when he finally reached her.

"DON'T _TOUCH_ ME! GET YOUR HANDS OFF, IT HURTS, IT HURTS, IT HURTS SO _FUCKING_ MUCH!"

Trying to calm her, Barret held on, "Marlene…Marlene! It's daddy, it's me honey! Marlene don't do this, it's _me_, your papa!"

Shaking under Barret's grip, thrashing this way and that, Marlene finally bit into his hand, and as he jerked back everyone could see that she had drawn blood. Freed from his large hands, the girl threw one last, terrified glance his way before tearing up the stairs. Barret visibly winced at the sound of a door slamming and then his shoulders began to shake.

Streaming with hot tears, Barret's eyes met Tifa's matching ones with a determination burning within them. "I will kill him for what he's done to her." Tifa only nodded with equal determination rising in her stance. Cloud paced into the room and placed his hand on Barret's gun-arm.

"_We'll_ kill him for what he did to Marlene."

Although…they were both wrong. Neither of them would be the end of Jacob Draken.

* * *

"Tifa, this is ridiculous. We can't just let Yuffie walk into a trap like this. She's one of our comrades." Vincent's quiet voice floated over the head of the adults sitting around one of Tifa's large mahogany tables. 

The rest of AVALANCHE, minus their subject of conversation, had arrived shortly after Barret and Marlene's episode, and the were now discussing a plan of action for what to do about the infamous serial killer.

"Vincent, I don't know what else to do! Even if he does get his hands on her, she can take care of herself…Marlene can't. If he doesn't get her…he'll just come back for Marly…or Denzel…or he'll kill us all. I don't know what I'm supposed to do!"

"&&, I'll be the first to admit that it sucks, Valentine…but he's got us on a tight rope. The brat'll be fine against a sleaze like him…especially if she's had to deal with Reno for all this time. At least…I hope she'll be alright."

"I'm not so sure…he is extremely dangerous. Is it certain that we can't find another way to deal with this?" Nanaki sounded thoughtful as he pondered a solution.

"What could we do? He'll have a gun at the party, most likely pointed in Yuffie's direction, and if any of us make a move he won't hesitate to fire…I don't know what I'm supposed to do!" Tifa was on the verge of hysterics.

"I'm sure that Tifa's already tried thinking of other options…the truth is, we're trapped." Cloud's face was troubled as he stared at the faces around him.

"So, you're all going to invite her over for a party celebrating your engagement, knowing full-well that somewhere at said party, there is a serial killer intent on murdering her. And then, to top it all off, you're going to let him capture her?" Vincent was seething under his carefully crafted, blank mask. Everyone's faces turned guilty at his words.

"Don' see you doing much to warn her…" Barret mumbled.

"Her phone has been disconnected, and Tseng wouldn't give me Reno's number." Silence claimed the room as guilty turned to shock as everyone's head whipped around to gawk at the crimson clad gunslinger.

"You got the &(& hots for the brat or something, Valentine?" Cid finally asked around his cigarette.

"Yuffie is merely my friend. I thought she was your friend as well, but it seems I was wrong. I knew should have said something to Reno when I saw him last…if you'll excuse me, I need to clear my head." Vincent rose from the table and strode out the door as the others watched in awe, guilt taking over their features again.

"Still…there's nothing we can do." Barret finally broke the tense silence. "I won't have him hurting my baby again." No one asked the question that resonated in the room.

_So it was better that he hurt Yuffie, then?_

* * *

"So…how sexy do I look?" Yuffie spun swiftly in the scarlet number Reno had gotten for her, and then fell as her heels gave out under the motion. From his position leaning against the opposite wall, Reno laughed outright at her actions. 

"Very sexy, princess. I love the whole clumsy, crumpled-on-the-floor look. It works for you. Hey, aren't you supposed to know how to walk in those if you're royalty? Comes with the whole ladylike act?"

"Shut your pie-hole, Turkey. I'd like to see you walk in these things." Yuffie had hauled herself off the floor and bent over to adjust her shoe straps. Reno didn't even bother to hide his ogling of her ass. "Eyes off the rear, Reno." Yuffie didn't even need to look to know exactly where he was staring.

As she stood precariously on her heels and turned to face him, Yuffie instead came face-to-face with Reno's muscular chest as his arms encircled her and his lips crushed against hers. Her own response was immediate—she could never resist the Turk when he kissed her like that. Things might have ended up between the sheets if Yuffie hadn't had a moment of clarity between the fog of desire that had come over her. Reluctantly breaking away from Reno, she took a moment to catch her breath before meeting his eyes again.

"Reno…we will never get to the party on time, like this." At the heat in his eyes she grinned through her blush. "_However_, you have full permission to tear this dress off as soon as the party's over."

"Yuffie…" Reno's voice was low and rough. "I will most definitely be taking you up on that offer." Their lips met again and Yuffie almost considered missing the party. _Almost_.

Somehow they made it down the stairs and out the front door, to the car and then they were speeding down the long, winding drive through the trees. The occupants of the car were both comfortably silent, the only illumination coming from the different dials on the car's dashboard. Yuffie didn't mask the fact that she was staring at Reno through the dim light, his sharp features glowing faintly in what little light there was.

She had to admit it, she was one lucky woman. The redheaded Turk looked drop-dead sexy in a black suit that was actually unwrinkled for once. But not only was he unbelievably gorgeous, he was also hilarious, caring, genuine…Yuffie was in love, and he was perfection. Maybe not perfection for someone like Tifa, and definitely not the kind of guy Aeris would have ever gone for…but he was perfect for someone like herself.

Tifa needed a guy like Cloud, someone who needed her to heal them—help them, and Aeris needed someone carefree but still the good-guy, like Zack. Yuffie needed danger. She needed risk. She needed sarcasm and taunting and fiery arguments and unbridled passion. She didn't need someone like Vincent, someone who would balance her (although that might've been nice too), Yuffie needed someone who would enhance her, push her to her limit in every single way. Yuffie wanted,_needed_, Reno. Yuffie _loved_ Reno. Yuffie _had_ Reno. She was one lucky bitch.

Reno was contemplating his luck as well. While some men wouldn't consider having the loudmouth, rebellious princess to be a stroke of good fortune, Reno knew what they were missing out on. Yuffie had a sincerity to her that just made you want to be a better person. Reno didn't want to defile what he had with her by cheating with some random girl. He wouldn't do that to Yuffie, because she deserved so much more than that…deserved so much more than him. But just because she deserved it, didn't mean he was going to let her go so she could find it. She was the sweetest, hottest, goofiest, sneakiest, loveliest, most genuine ninja he had ever met. _Person_ he had ever met. He had let her steal the one thing that no one had ever stolen from him before. His heart. And for some reason…he didn't feel the need to try and get it back. She could have it, for as long as he had hers. He hoped it was forever.

Reno took one hand off the steering wheel to lace it with Yuffie's as she beamed up at him, and for just a moment, the serenity in the car couldn't have been shattered by anything.

The party's venue loomed in the distance as they continued to silently thank the Gods for each other. The Gods, however, were about to test the strength of their relationship.

* * *

"Yuffie! I can't believe you're actually here! You look _amazing_!!!" Tifa was nearly screeching as Yuffie and Reno entered the hotel's ballroom. 

Tifa had decided to host the party somewhere other than the Seventh Heaven, simply because she needed more space than the bar offered. Not only were all of AVALANCHE and the Turks, plus Rufus, invited, but plenty of her friends from Edge. Owning a bar had a positive impact on her social life, Tifa realized as she gazed at the people whirling on the gilded dance floor or chatting by the buffet and drinks tables. A small band was situated in the corner playing different types of music at random.

Yuffie thought the whole affair was a little gaudy, but she always thought that of events hosted by Tifa. Looking around, she spotted the faces of all her friends, smiling and waving before approaching her. As AVALANCHE assembled around her however, she realized one face was absent.

"Tif? Where's Vince?" Reno stiffened a little at her curiosity and she elbowed him before taking his hand. "I simply wanted to thank him for helping you with my birthday present, you paranoid moron." She stated as she turned to face the Turk beside her.

"Well…if I remember correctly, you told me you had a thing for him once." Reno muttered in her ear. Yuffie rolled her eyes before meeting Reno's. As they looked at each other, the friends surrounding them melted away until they were in their own little world, as usual. The kiss was rather chaste, but held everything they wanted the other to know. Reno's side said that he didn't want to lose her. Yuffie's said that he never could, even if he wanted to. Only when throats being cleared were heard, did they break apart.

"Eheheh…I guess I forgot to mention that he's my boyfriend, huh?" Yuffie grinned sheepishly, as Reno just stared at her with an unfathomable look in his eyes.

"Reeve totally owes me two thousand gil." Tseng was smug as he crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at the pair. "How long has this been going on?" Reno and Yuffie looked at each other curiously, trying to remember. It felt like they had always been together, to be honest.

"Does it matter? I need to find Vince so I can thank him!"

"What did I do that warrants your thanks?" A monotonous voice caused Yuffie to whirl towards its source.

"VINCE!" The young ninja threw herself at the gunslinger, squeezing him around his middle as he chuckled and hugged her gently in response. Reno met Vincent's gaze and his aqua eyes narrowed infinitesimally. Vincent released Yuffie and he took a step back from the pouting girl with a pointed looked towards the redheaded Turk.

"It was my pleasure Yuffie, although I didn't do much other than supply Reno with the pictures. It was all his idea."

"Yeah, but still! I didn't get a chance to thank you…or Shera for that matter…it's thanks to her I'm not naked tonight. Besides! I haven't seen any of you in _forever_! How have you all been?" Yuffie didn't miss the awkward silence that fell over the group of people, nor the furious look that Vincent shot at Tifa. She looked back at her bodyguard boyfriend with unasked questions that he shrugged at. He had no idea what was going on either.

Tifa finally broke the tension, with an equally tense request. "Reno…could I see you for a moment, please? We need to have a private talk."

"Tifa, I'm Yuffie's bodyguard…I made a promise I wouldn't leave her." His voice was firm, but Tifa's bubbling laugh made his resolve waver slightly.

"Like I'd let anything happen to my best friend at my own party! Come _on_, Reno… it's safe here. I just want to talk with you for five minutes."

Reno glanced back at Yuffie as he allowed Tifa to lead him away, seeing Vincent shift towards Yuffie rather protectively. The ninja's eyes were pleading him to stay, but she knew he would go. "Just five minutes…" He muttered, seeing the unspoken fear well up in her eyes. He didn't want to do this to her. Something was definitely off, but Tifa was being rather persistent and he didn't want to meet a Premium Heart just because he was being difficult.

_Just because he was doing his job._

Yuffie swallowed at the feeling of unease that settled over her; a feeling that came with Reno's absence. That and the fact that Vincent was shadowing her wherever she went, crimson eyes alert and watching her every move. She finally whirled to ask him what his deal was, but then several things happened at once.

Reno shouted her name from across the room and began a wild sprint towards her as a hand covered her mouth from behind. She inhaled, choked on something sickly sweet, and her lids began to close. But she didn't miss how every single member of AVALANCHE just stood there and watched it all happen. She saw Vincent's human hand tighten in a fist and his eyes flash and he almost took a step forward, but then he stopped and froze in place. As her eyes continued to glaze over and close, she saw the butt of a gun come down on Reno's head as he reached for her. She heard the crack and saw blood begin to flow. Her mind was definitely drifting by that point, but she would always remember the last thing she saw before the darkness took her. Tifa, across the room, mouthing two simple words: "I'm sorry."

_I'm sorry I betrayed you. I'm sorry I sent you to your death. I'm sorry._

Then Yuffie faded to black.

* * *

(AN: So first off…I'm ALIVE! Secondly, I actually _do_ like Tifa… really I do. But in order for this story to work…she kinda had to be a coward, I guess. Now, down to business. First of all, SUPER DUPER Special Thanks go out to MidnightXRequiem for being my awesome BETA and sitting up with me at ungodly hours. Thanks also go out to the rest of my other fanTABulous reviewers: otaku dreamer (luv ya chica), Vampyric Ninja, Diamond Moonlight, Feloss, midnight 1987, Serenitychan13, Fan, and Kim! Love you all! gives chocolate molten lava chocolate cake thingy of dooooooom Sorry this took so long….hope it was worth the wait! R&R Pleease, cuz I'm a bit of a review whore! And all of you who have this on alert and aren't reviewing….I know who you are and I'm watching you….XD) 


	11. Fatal Hour

Disclaimer: Don't own anything…

Lord Godo was expecting another normal day for himself, maybe a little less entertaining than usual; they all had been a little duller since his daughter left. He had originally just thought that she had gone to travel again; Yuffie was like the wind after all, floating wherever she felt like. Then he had gotten a call from Tseng of the Turks explaining everything. He was assured that Reno was fully capable of taking care of Yuffie, that nothing would happen to her. Promised that she would be safe. He had swallowed that with little doubt, and had continued to believe that she was safe. That her friends would keep her protected and out of Harm's way.

Then, he had picked up that day's issue of _The Edge Times_, and his heart froze.

**Meteor Heroes Give Up Princess Kisaragi**

**Last night's party celebrating the engagement of Meteor Heroes Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockheart was full of drama as many who attended saw. At first, it looked like a happy enough event, especially with the return of Princess Yuffie Kisaragi, who mysteriously disappeared over the past few months. It was revealed by Shin-Ra sources that she had been living in under some sort of protective measures in an undisclosed location, due to the killer--whose one-time alias was Jack Driscoll—targeting the Princess specifically. Her protection was also being enforced by a bodyguard, Reno Damascus of the Turks, and friend of the Meteor Heroes. On a lighter note for a moment, it was obviously apparent that the Princess and her bodyguard are more than just friends (see pg. A3). However, shortly after the duo's arrival and the seemingly happy reunion between friends, disaster struck. According to bystanders, Ms. Lockheart drew the Turk bodyguard away from Princess Kisaragi, and in his absence the serial killer that ravaged Gaia's lands all those months ago abducted the unguarded young woman. As he dragged her off, all the Meteor Heroes were in helping distance, and yet they all stood still and watched. Pictures taken by undercover paparazzi show that none of the members of AVALANCHE, save for one, looked surprised to see the killer make an appearance. What does this mean for the group? **

**Taking a closer look at the incident, several things can be inferred. The mysterious absence of killing over the past few months was probably due to "Jack Driscoll" plotting to abduct the Princess. By a resounding "No Comment" from the Meteor Heroes, it appears as though they have something to hide. The only member who has expressed any remorse about what happened was Ex-Turk, Vincent Valentine who said early this morning, "I am ashamed to be a part of a group of friends that would… never mind. I simply hope we get Yuffie back unhurt and in one piece." It seems as if more trouble is brewing under the surface of the façade the members of AVALANCHE have put up. **

**And as for the bodyguard? He was the only one who reacted to the Princess's situation, and was unfortunately incapacitated and was also taken away by a bystander being held at gunpoint. The duo was driven away in a plate-less, black Volvo, and so far police have been unable to track down the vehicle. There are no clues as to where they might be, although all cities are putting up watches for any sight of Reno Damascus, Princess Kisaragi, or their abductor. It is not known if this is a hostage situation where she will be returned unharmed, or an assassination.**

**(Continued on Page A3—Things Looking Cozy Between Wutai Princess and Bodyguard—photographs included) **

Godo's cup of tea shook in his hand, and as his grip went lax it tumbled to the floor, shattering on impact. It was then that he heard the helicopters approaching. One glance out the Pagoda window confirmed that it was indeed the Shin-Ra coming. So _now_ they decided to tell him that his only child, the one remaining family member he had left since the death of his wife, had been kidnapped by a rapist and serial killer. He was going to _kill_ that fucker Tseng when he got his hands on him.

Wutai's Lord didn't even wait for them to come to him, he simply went to meet them outside the city walls. As soon as Tseng drew close enough, Godo's fist shot out and caught his sympathetic face with a mean right hook. The Lord smirked in a Yuffie-like fashion as the man went down hard, and momentarily grinned at the fact that he still had it after all those years. His momentary jovial mood was cut short when the painful reason for the Turk's arrival surfaced again.

"_What have you done with my daughter?!_" Godo's voice was more of a snarl than an actual voice, but Tseng just stood up slowly and continued to give Godo that _fucking obnoxious_ sympathetic look. His next words were so cliché that Wutai's Lord snorted and rolled his eyes; the Kisaragi's were known for their distaste of clichés.

"So…you've heard."

"Nope. Just punched you in the face as a greeting. Wutaiian tradition."

"We're so sorry."

"Will your apologies get my daughter back?" At the shake of Tseng's head, Godo continued, "Then don't bother with them. Instead, find something more productive to do with yourself than make bullshit apologies."

A gleam of determination flooded Tseng's eyes. "We'll get her back. I promise you."

"_She'll be very safe with Reno; he's one of our best workers. I promise no harm will come to her."_

A malicious gleam flickered in Godo's dark eyes, and his mouth turned down in a scowl. "I don't trust promises from any member of Shin-Ra. Not after the results of the last one."

Cold. That was the first thing Yuffie noticed ebbing through the thick fog clouding her mind. Cold, and a throbbing pain in her shoulders that was getting stronger as she gained clarity in her awareness. Then came the realization that her face felt like it had been hit with a sledgehammer…much like the rest of her body. The ninja vaguely wondered if Reno would still love her if her face had been sledgehammered...she hoped so, because it would kind of suck to lose him over something as stupid and painful as that.

Opening eyes that really didn't feel like being opened, Yuffie took in her state as her mind was flung back to reality. Yuffie rolled her eyes at the cliché-ness of everything. Ankle and wrist bindings? Check. Mouth taped shut? Check. Weaponless? Check. Sharp-pointy-object-less? Check. Escape-plan-less? Heheheheh….not so much. Didn't this punk know that Yuffie was a ninja? It wasn't like simple bindings were gonna stop her from escaping.

Rolling to her side, all she had to do was pretzelerize herself until her bound wrists reached her ankles. From then it was easy as one-two-three: fumble with the rope around her ankles until it came undone, and jump-rope her own arms so they were in front of her instead of behind. Then, gritting her teeth, the shinobi ripped the tape from her mouth, feeling a bit of blood begin to dribble down as a layer of skin came off with the adhesive. Her mouth and teeth freed, she could now gnaw at the rope around her wrists. When she was free, Yuffie finally took in her actual surroundings.

Splintered wood made up the walls, and a carpet of straw scratched at the bottom of Yuffie's feet. The only illumination came from a large, pane-less window, and a chill wind lashed at the ninja as she went to stand in its frame. Snow was pelting the ground in harsh chunks, and nothing could be seen for miles around except for dark splotches that Yuffie assumed were patches of forest. Her breath fogged in front of her face as she gazed in horror at the frozen tundra before her. The crimson dress she still was clothed in did little to keep out the biting twists of air spiraling through the room, seeming to cut through her body.

Instinct told her to just make a run for it, flip through the open window in front of her and haul ass out of there until she was home in warm Wutai, curled up under a quilt with her cats. Common sense told her that _Reno could be here somewhere and she wasn't leaving without him_. Not when he was in this whole mess because of her. Besides, her feet were bare, her dress was short, and it was a near-blizzard snowstorm outside.

Yuffie turned away from the desolate land stretching in all directions and faced the room. Taking hesitant steps forward in the darkness, letting her ears guide her, Yuffie found that she wasn't even in a locked room. She was in a…stall? Yes, there was a water trough to her right, empty of everything except for the noises of creepy-crawlers scuttling about. Her eyes adjusting to the dark, the young shinobi padded out into what looked like a hallway. In front of her, and continuing down behind her, were the silhouettes of rows and rows of stalls. Yuffie was sure that wherever she was, she was definitely in an old barn.

A slimy something squirmed over her foot, and Yuffie bit her tongue to avoid any sound. All around her the stable groaned, the wind rocking its old bones. With a turn to the right, all silhouetted shapes disappear, giving way to the dark void of an open area. The mysterious depths of the bigger room chased all clichés of bound limbs and taped mouths from the captive's mind, as the blackness loomed—a blind spot everywhere the ninja looked. Even the air crackled with mystery and devious intentions as a high, keening sound shrieked in Yuffie's ears. The sound of rusty metal moving. She was not alone in this place.

Perhaps it was Reno, trying to find her, or maybe it was the man desperate to spill her blood for some reason…or it might have been Yuffie's imagination running wild; conjuring ghosts and goblins out of the engulfing gloom, where none truly existed. Whatever the case, the girl had been trained to survive, trained to keep herself alive, and to do that she knew she needed a weapon. Any kind of makeshift article would suffice.

Treading silently down the rows of chocobo stalls, through the inky shadows swallowing everything in her vicinity, Yuffie kept her semi-adjusted eyes trained all around, not that it did much good without any windows to let even the slightest sliver of moonlight in. Her pace was quick, but even she couldn't find any form of defense before the killer found _her_.

It seemed appropriate that both their footsteps were silent as the grave.

_The grave that one of them would be going to soon._

The killer's one mistake was that as soon as he sensed his prey, he hastened towards her, giving away his position. Alerted to the movement behind her, Yuffie managed to throw herself out of the way as a dagger went flying by her, rolling to the side, bounding back up and spinning to face the projectile's origin. At the click of a button, dim light flooded the barn and Yuffie gazed at her enemy for the first time.

Across the room from her stood a man of about six feet, muscled—but not overly so—and strikingly Wutaiian. Gaping at his tan skin and dark almond eyes, all Yuffie could see was _Wutai-born, cousin, subject, friend._ But then her eyes narrowed and she saw _Traitor, killer, rapist, enemy._

"Lady Kisar—"

"Yuffie." Her words were shards of ice as they plunged through his, cutting them off. "And you are?"

"Jacob Draken."

"Your _real_ name, traitor. The one you had before you abandoned your country."

"I have many names, Kisaragi."

As they spoke, the nemeses inched forward, Jacob's hand never leaving the holster at his hip.

Almost in unison, they were at each others throats, Yuffie landing a roundhouse kick to Jacob's jaw. The shinobi's form was off however, and as she landed her back was exposed to her rival who took this opening, flinging her by the waist. Yuffie flew clear across the room before catching herself on a broken rafter, tilting down from the ceiling. Flipping up and balancing neatly, Yuffie glared.

"So, is this the part where you try to scare the shit out of me, before proceeding to rape and then kill me?" Leave it to the ninja to keep her sarcasm in battle.

"Frighten—yes, Kill—yes, but I think I'd rather not take your virginity, you disgusting Wutai flea!"

Yuffie would have laughed at the fact that he thought she was still a virgin, but by then he was leaping at her, gun out of the holster and firing wildly as the shinobi sprang away, jumping to the stable stall's framework and sprinting her way across. At the last second she pulled up short and back-flipped off the wooden frame, launching herself just far enough to land behind the oncoming killer. A well placed kick to the small of his back, and Jacob was down with Yuffie crouched along his spine. The gun clattered away into the shadows as he fell. Yuffie had the vague thought that it was pretty badass that she was doing all of this in a mini skirt.

"You're from Wutai yourself, _idiot_! Even if you have abandoned the way of ninjitsu for mechanical weapons! Your blood and my blood are the _same_!" Yuffie didn't fully understand why it mattered so much to her that he acknowledge his heritage, but she knew that _no one_ calls her a Wutai flea and gets away with it—she'd gotten enough of that during Deepground.

Apparently, Jacob didn't like his heritage very much, and Yuffie's bringing it up only fed his rage. Again, she found herself flying through the air as he sprung up from underneath her. Catching her from midair before she even registered what was happening, Yuffie was slammed against a wall with a squeezing fist wrapped around her throat. Jacob's dark eyes held a maniacal glint as they bored into her, piercing through the fog that was clouding her oxygen-starved brain.

"Don't you want to know why? _Don't you want to know why I killed all those women? Why I came after you?!?! __**DON'T YOU WANT TO KNOW?!?!?!?!**_" For the first time, Yuffie was actually afraid of Jacob. A sane serial killer she could deal with no problem…a psychotic, maniacal, deranged one was a little more risky. "Six hundred and ninety-nine women…exactly. That's how many I've killed. You'll be the seven-hundredth. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! And you know why I picked you? Why I want to kill you?"

Yuffie was beginning to fade, but one of her legs had a perfect opening at Jacob's groin. However, deep down, she was an inquisitive girl. She wanted to know why Jacob did what he did…it wasn't like he would find redemption in her eyes, but knowing your enemy's motives had benefits. If she could just hang on until he finished explaining…

"I picked you because…I grew up in Wutai. I saw it before, during and after the war. Before the war we were just crazy heathens with primitive traditions and too much obsession with purity of blood. The war with Shin-Ra changed all that. For once, we were going somewhere…even if it was just a tourist resort town, we were becoming one with the new times. And then, _you_ came back from saving the world. And I knew that if you took the throne when Old Man Godo died…that you'd bring Wutai back to the "great" country it once was. Restore the traditions, throw out Shin-Ra for good. And…I _can't _have that… _I CAN'T HAVE THAT YOU STUPID, TRADITIONAL BITCH! YOU BITCH!_"

Yuffie had heard enough. Through the haze of her dying brain, she managed to send a signal to her right, bare foot. The muscles coiled taught and carried all the power of the trained ninja that she was, sending a strong kick to Jacob's down-yonder. And he went down. So did Yuffie. The rivals lay on the cold ground, one writhing in pain and the other gasping for air.

"What…about…the other…the other girls…what was the point in killing all of them…if you just wanted…me?" Yuffie gagged on the stale air of the barn, inhaling straw and dirt and mud and muck as she struggled to get the words out. Jacob's answer chilled her to the bone before setting fire to her veins in mindless fury.

"Because, my naive Princess, sometimes I just get the urge to _kill_." Jacob had gone oddly still as he said those words, and Yuffie leapt at him from her grounded position, trying to bash his head into the ground.

"So their deaths were meaningless? They were just your work because you were bored and _wanted to kill innocent women_?" The duo rolled in the straw, scratching and clawing and punching and kicking at the other. Jacob finally said the words that clicked in Yuffie's mind.

"Bored…funny…I was only bored until I took that little girl from your friend's bar…oh, and she was in on it. Tifa, I believe her name was? She helped me set the trap. For the girl's safe return, of course. A hostage for a hostage…" The shinobi went flopped off her adversary and went limp with shock. Everything fell into place.

_So, how have you all been?_

_**Helping your enemy**_

_Reno, could I see you for a moment please?_

_**So she'll be vulnerable**_

_Like I'd let anything happen to my best friend at my own party!_

_**Lying, two-faced—**_

"BITCH!" Yuffie screamed, although it came out somewhat strangled. "I'LL KILL HER FOR THIS!"

"See…?" Jacob asked quietly, "Even you get the urge to kill. We are the same, Kisaragi Yuffie."

With a cry of outrage, Yuffie was once again on her feet. Blinded by her wrath, she ended up halfway down the aisle of stalls, with an old, spoke-wheel in her hands. Pausing to fix her eyes upon its frame, a sadistic gleam flashed in her eyes. The outer circular framework had rotted away, leaving the spokes exposed and deadly. It sure as hell wasn't Conformer, but it would suffice. She readied her arm to throw…and then the ceiling collapsed behind her. Whirling to face the cloud of dust and shards of wood flying everywhere, she could only make out a flash of red hair before she realized who it was.

"RENO!" She yelled, but he waved her back.

"Not now, babe! _Fight him_!" In all the madness, Jacob was only beginning to lurch to his feet. His deep brown eyes met Yuffie's stormy grey, and then she released the wheel. It whistled through the air before meeting it's mark with a sickening crunch. Jacob flew back from the impact and collided with the wall, leaving a trail of blood as he slid down. Only one spoke had struck him, directly between the eyes. Yuffie walked over to him limp form and spat the last words he would ever hear.

"You and I have _nothing_ in common, traitor."

Wrenching the wheel from his skull, blood spattered everywhere. The makeshift weapon dropped with a thud at Yuffie's feet.

There was utter silence for three heartbeats. She slowly turned to gaze at Reno. Both were breathing heavily, and not even a moment later, they had met in the center of the aisle and were wrapped up in each other. Parting from each others lips for air, the lovers silently set to examining the other for any serious wounds. Yuffie's lips were caked in dried blood, and there were deep purple bruises on her neck, arms and legs, as well as splinters everywhere. Reno was a splintery mess as well, along with some shallow scrapes from his fall through the ceiling. All in all however, they were alive, in one piece, and together.

Taking Yuffie's hand in his, Reno steered her away from Jacob's body.

"C'mon, let's find a way outta this hell hole."

Yuffie couldn't have come up with a better suggestion.

(AN: And so we see Jacob's crazy side…intense enough? I hope so. Anyways, don't even go _thinking_ that Hostage is over yet. Cuz…it's not. Alright, getting down to business, major thanks to my BETA MidnightXRequiem for putting up with all my craziness while writing this…like tackling her into her metal book holder and throwing Corn Pops all over the place. And to the rest of the reviewers: Azalie-Kauriu, ariaswan, Fan, midnight 1987, otaku dreamer, ClassicBeauty16, Serenitychan13, JignYee, Feloss, Lady Da Qiao of Wu, Vampyric Ninja, and my last anonymous reviewer! Welcome newcoming reviewers, and welcome back to all of you who've been here from the beginning XD Love you all and keep it up!)


	12. Homecoming

**Disclaimer:**I own…EVERYTHING! MUAAHAHAHAHHAHA….gets slapped with a lawsuit alright….nevermind. SquareSoft/Enix owns everything…T.T

* * *

The trek from the chocobo stable back to civilization was sure to be an awful one. One glance at the car Jacob had used to transport them from Edge to the Northern Continent showed that the gas tank was completely empty. Reno had actually come across some gasoline in the stables, but they had used it all up as a fuel for the fire they set to the building. It was the closest thing to a Wutaiian cremation the serial killer would ever get; Yuffie's way of mocking his hatred for his own country.

For the moment, both ninja and Turk had their gazed fixed on the incinerating stable, enjoying the heat radiating from it, even as the snow melted under their feet. They simply stood, watching the flames gorge on the wooden walls and the thick black smoke blotting out the stars and midnight sky.

"Do you think we should've kept the body? Ya know, for the cops and everything?" Yuffie asked a bit timidly—after all, it had been her idea to burn the whole building down.

"Dead is dead, right? He won't be of much use in prison now." Came the blunt reply. "Let's go princess; if we wanna get to Icicle Inn, we better start walking." Taking her hand, he began leading the way. The _wrong _way, Yuffie realized with a giggle.

"Oh Turkey boy, it's the opposite way. You're following Leviathan to the North, and last time I checked Icicle Inn is in the south part of the Northern Continent…" She trailed off a pointed to something in the distance. "Gawd would you look at that!"

It was the Crater, its frigid, mountainous peaks rising up into the sky, just high enough so that she could tell way it was.

"Ya know, babe…if we climbed up there, the view would be amazing. And maybe the smoke from our friendly, local chocobo stables is burning high enough for people to spot it and send a search party up here." His grinning face was illuminated by the flames as he glanced to the ninja at his side. She, in turn, made a face up at him.

"Well, the smoke bit is all well and good…but if you haven't noticed, that prick stole my shoes. Maybe he was secretly a drag queen…but anyways, how am I supposed to make the climb up to the top of the Crater in bare feet?"

"I'll carry you, of course…_Princess_." And with that he slung her over his shoulder and began picking his way carefully across the snowy landscape.

"_TURKEEEEEEYYY_!!!! Lemme _down!_ Or at least give me a piggyback ride, 'cause looking at your ass for the next however long it takes you to get there isn't pleasant!" Yuffie wailed from her inverted position along Reno's spine.

"You love it, don't lie, yo." His stride never faltered, despite her constant protests.

"Me? Love looking at your scrawny ass? I think not! It's not even cute! Now, you wanna talk about cute butts, _Cloud_ has a cute butt, like he must do exercises on that thing or somethi—" Yuffie found herself suddenly upturned in the powdered snow with a fairly heavy redhead tickling her to death.

Her giggles echoed across the silent fields, mixing and melding with Reno's shouts of "Take it back! You know I have a cute ass!" The whole situation was so silly, but the weight of everything had been lifted from both of their shoulders; even if they were stranded in the snowy, middle of absolute nowhere, with Yuffie beginning to get cold in her mini dress and bare feet. They were alive, they were together and the relief overwhelmed them both. When Reno had finally finished tickling Yuffie and her resulting giggles had subsided, they twosome didn't bother moving. They simply stretched out in the snow and watched the stars, staying close to each other for warmth as the snow began seeping through their clothes and freezing on their bodies.

"Hey…look at these…" Yuffie raised her hands to show Reno her wrists. Twin gashes twisted around each one. "Those stupid ropes must've cut into them or something…I didn't even notice until just now…"

"Adrenaline rush might've held off the pain. It happens with gun wounds sometimes. At the very least you'll have some cool scars. Or people might think you're suicidal." Yuffie shrugged at that and laced her hands behind her head. The cold snow helped fight back the throbbing in her wrists. Comfortable silence fell between the two as the minutes ticked by.

"We should get going, yo. If we want to get to Icicle Inn…"

"Yeah, we really should. Before we freeze or something…" Their eyes were still trained on the stars, as they both paused to contemplate their situation.

"I don't feel like moving."

"Me either."

So instead they just lay there, unmoving, for long moments as the stables burned behind them. A wind stirred and danced across the landscape, invisible yet definitely present. Yuffie shivered in her tiny dress and Reno swore.

"Well fuck, I'm an idiot. C'mere Yuffs." As they both sat up, he slid out of his jacket and draped it around the slight shinobi's shoulders, feeling the wind bite at his own skin as it became exposed through his dress shirt. Her shivering subsided and she repaid him with a blinding smile before leaning against his chest and tucking her head under his chin.

"You're gonna freeze now." The softer tenor of her voice didn't mask her concern.

"Nah babe, I'm a Turk. We're invincible." That comment, along with her snort following it, broke the moment. Reno was forced to grin. The fact that he was having a "moment" with a girl was weird in and of itself. The fact that the girl was Yuffie Kisaragi made it even more bizarre. He liked it.

Yuffie grinned as she saw goose bumps rising on his arms. "Invincible? So that must mean you're immune to everything, Mr. Tough Guy?" He nodded as a chuckle rumbled in his chest against Yuffie's cheek. "Even jealousy?" Was the sly question.

"No doubt about it, yo. I am Reno, God of Sex and have no reason to be jealous of anything or anyone."

"Pfft, God of Sex my ass. I bet even Reeve's better in bed than you, and the only experience he has is with Cait Sith and his collection of moogles."

Reno poked her side in protest, surprising a laugh. "Brat."

"Turkey."

"Thief."

"Fire Crotch."

"For someone who claims to be unsatisfied, you still bring it up a lot, yo."

"Whatever, Turkey."

They both fell silent and Reno knew he had won. He'd brag about it later. Unless…

"You weren't exactly calm when you thought I'd slept with Vinnie." He could sense her grinning triumphantly up at him and he remembered the day she was talking about.

"Alright, princess…if you _must_ know, jealousy is one of two emotions Turks can feel." Yuffie giggled and sat up to look at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, thank you _so much_ for clearing that up. What's the other one?"

Reno plastered a mockingly shocked look on his face as he drawled, "Why, love of course, Miss Kisaragi." Yuffie scoffed sarcastically.

"Impossible. Calm, cool and collected Turks can't love." She smiled at him wryly.

"Oh yes we can. Only one person per lifetime though."

"Ah. Your favorite hooker must feel so privileged." Reno rolled his eyes. She was gonna make him say it.

"You want to hear me sound corny, don't you?" He glared at her as her lips formed a coy smile.

"I'm just speaking what I believe, Turkey. If I'm wrong then feel free to enlighten me."

"I fucking love you, brat."

Yuffie laughed. She should've known any declaration of love from the redhead would be laced with curse words. That didn't stop her stomach from filling with butterflies at hearing the three—well technically five—words come from Reno's mouth for the first time. She was probably grinning like a moron, and she couldn't bring herself to care.

"I know Turkey. I love you too." A pause. "Are we gonna freeze to death here?"

"Possibly. I, for one, am too lazy and too tired to try and get to Icicle Inn."

"Same here, yo." Yuffie replied.

"Yo?"

"I wanted you to hear how idiotic you sound when you say that."

"Thanks…_yo_."

"Any time, love."

"Aww, that's cute, _princess_."

"Shut up. I hate you."

"Nah…you don't, and you know it."

"Alright, don't tell anyone but secretly…I love you."

"I know." A thought struck him. "Ya know…I remember you making an offer to let me tear that dress off you after the party was over." He cocked a copper eyebrow suggestively.

"Never took you for an exhibitionist, Fire Top."

"Don't worry; it's only to keep us warm. After all, if I'm so terrible in bed I figured I'd at least find a useful reason for forcing my unwanted manhood on you." His voice feigned hurt at her earlier words.

The ninja sighed exasperatedly dragging his face towards hers. "Just shut up and kiss me, Turkey." She breathed seductively, before Reno closed the unnecessary gap between their lips. His hands had just drifted around to the zipper of her dress when they both heard the sirens. Pulling away from him, she grinned wickedly as his face fell.

"Well, our rescuers are apparently here. Why the disappointed look, Reno? It's not like you were gonna get any." Standing slowly, wincing at stiff joints, Yuffie glanced across the snowy field. Barely visible among the ember light thrown from the fire engulfing the stables were the flashing lights of police cars and an ambulance. Hope lighting up her face, Yuffie whirled to face Reno. "Awesome! Oh thank Leviathan, we won't have to walk! Let's go!"

As she sprinted off to get the attention of the cops, Reno followed at a much slower pace. Where did they go from here? Eventually, they would have to deal with the rest of AVALANCHE, and Reno wasn't sure if Yuffie was ready to face Tifa calmly. What could she possibly say that could make up for her betrayal? And the others…they hadn't been any help either, although it had seemed like Vincent had tried to warn them in his own quiet, stoic way.

As he met up with Yuffie and the cops she had obviously charmed in the minutes it had taken him to walk over, Reno forced those thoughts out of his head. They would deal with those obstacles when they were presented, and they would deal with them together.

"Reno Damascus?" Asked one cop when Reno met his eyes. "Thank the Lifestream we found you both. It's been three days since you were kidnapped. We're here to—"

"We get to ride back in the ambulance! How fricken cool is that?! When I was with AVALANCHE, we just had to deal when we got hurt and stuff and "keep moseying" as Spikes would say…" Yuffie's eyes dimmed a little at the mention of AVALANCHE but brightened again before she faced the cop. "We're ready to go, mister. I, for one, am freezing and I swear to gawd my toes are so cold I could snap them right off if I wanted to! Let's go!"

Once Yuffie and Reno had been packed into the ambulance and the proper methods for healing them and bringing their falling body temperatures back up to normal had been administered, it was time for them to pick a destination. After some discussion, they eventually decided on Shin-Ra HQ. Reno would need to check in with Tseng and Reeve to obviously let them know that everything was fine. Plus, Reeve had been left out of all AVALANCHE's traitorous plans, so Yuffie felt okay facing him. The poor young woman felt slightly sick at the thought of seeing Tifa at the moment. Yeah, that was one confrontation that could wait until Yuffie was sure her anger was under control.

* * *

It was close to four in the morning when Reno and Yuffie arrived at the HQ, but the light on in Tseng's top-floor office spoke of his continued presence, even at the ungodly hour. Looking up at the building with tired eyes, Reno sighed and reached into his dress shoe before pulling out a Shin-Ra keycard. Yuffie—who they had finally gotten a pair of slippers to cover her bare feet—looked at him with a quizzical expression on her face.

"It's the last place people will look if they're trying to steal it." Reno answered the unasked question before holding the door open for Yuffie who nodded as she entered the lobby.

The nightshift workers stared outright as the disheveled duo made their way across the lobby to the elevators. Taking advantage of their surprise, Reno hurried Yuffie along before anyone could mob them with questions. Over the three days that had passed since their abduction, news of the event had been spread all over Gaia, via the newspaper and news channels. Reno was exhausted, he knew Yuffie was as well, and neither of them needed people screaming and questioning and hovering and fluttering about trying to help them out. Swiping the keycard, the sleek elevator doors slid open smoothly and Yuffie and Reno entered. As the doors began to glide closed, realization dawned on the frozen lobby-goers and suddenly someone cried out, "Oh my God, they're back!" Reno flashed a trademark smirk at those running towards the doors before they closed and the pair were whisked up and away from the people who had surged forward.

"Glad we avoided that." Yuffie muttered with a small smile.

"Yeah…I can't deal with obnoxious people at this hour. Except you of course."

"Gee, thanks."

Tseng didn't even look up from his reports as the door to his office slammed open. "They haven't come back yet, Reeve. I'll let you know as soon as I find anything on Draken." The overworked man's worn face turned to one of shock at the drawling voice that answered him.

"Well, Chief, seeing as Yuffie put a spoke through his head; I'd say you wouldn't need to be worrying about Draken anymore."

Snapping his head up so fast he vaguely thought he received whiplash as an aftereffect, Tseng stared openmouthed at the Turk and ninja standing casually in front of him.

"Why the surprised look, Tseng? You didn't think Reno and I could take that psycho?" Yuffie grinned and pumped a fist. "Silly, silly Tseng. Absolutely no faith in your top Turk and the White Rose."

"Red Rose…" Reno muttered under his breath, receiving a shush from Yuffie.

"You…you two…how did you get here?" Before either could explain the phone began ringing and Tseng dazedly answered it.

"Reeve?! Yes, they're here—what…no I haven't been answering the phone until just now…I've been pouring over reports, not looking for smoke pillars in the sky! Alright…see you…" He hung up and faced his friends. They had made themselves quite at home while he was on the phone, with Reno sitting in a chair across from the desk and Yuffie settled on his lap. There was a long silence.

"…Do you need a drink?" Was Yuffie's first question.

Tseng blinked a few times before shaking his head. "What I need is an explanation. And possibly a drink after that."

Without any more prompting, Yuffie and Reno launched into an description of their experience with the serial killer. Reno's side of the story was a lot less exciting; he has only just woken up from his unconscious state before falling through the ceiling into the middle of Yuffie and Jacob's fight. Yuffie herself didn't spare any details, and even Tseng looked a little nauseous when she—rather graphically—described her method of execution. The leader of the Turks had been doing too much paperwork and too few missions lately if that was enough to sicken him, Reno thought.

Again, the door swung open with a bang to reveal and extremely relieve Reeve. "Oh thank the gods you two are safe!"

"And exhausted…" muttered Yuffie.

Reeve chuckled. "It's good to have you back and complaining, Yuffie. You should go see your father soon. He's been informed that you're alright, but it might be better if he saw you in person."

"Yeah, and don't let him beat up Reno. He didn't seem so happy when he saw the pictures of you two playing tonsil hockey at the party. But that wasn't the reason he punched me in the face when he saw me." Tseng rubbed his eye at the memory.

Yuffie cracked up. "He punched you?! Gawd, that is _classic_! And he was gonna have to find out about Reno eventually…in fact, it's probably better he found out when neither of us were around. Otherwise I would have ended up chained in my room, and Reno would be ball-less."

"And the world would be a better place without the chance of Reno spreading his genes." Reeve chimed in.

The redheaded Turk was unable to defend himself, as he was almost asleep in the chair, rubbing Yuffie's back absentmindedly. The ninja yawned hugely and leaned into his shoulder, getting ready for a nap of her own.

As she was about to drift off, Reeve brought Yuffie back with a jolt. "They'll be wanting to see you, Yuffie. Tifa especially." The shinobi's eyes snapped open and flickered to Reeve.

"Strange, I was under the impression that I didn't matter to them."

"Yuffie…they were being cowards. And bad friends, I'll admit it. But they are your friends. You're their friend."

Rolling her eyes, Yuffie settled back against Reno's chest. "Fine, fine. I'll go see them after I get some sleep…and once it's a less unreasonable hour." With that she was asleep. Tseng shook his head, and he and Reeve left the room to let the duo catch up on sleep.

* * *

It was early on the fourth day of their vigil when Tifa heard the cries of surprise and happiness out on the streets outside the bar. The whole of AVALANCHE—minus Yuffie, she realized with a pang of guilt—were seated around a large table at the center of the bars floorspace yet again, and all looked up and out towards the commotion. Their curiosity was quelled moments later when the door burst open to reveal none other than Yuffie. Behind her, with his arms crossed and un unreadable expression to match the ninja's, was Reno. The two of them just stood in the doorway, taking everything in. Tifa had the urge to run and hug her friend, but Yuffie's expression still hadn't cleared and the martial artist didn't know where she stood with either Yuffie or Reno after what she had done. Yuffie took a measured step into the bar and the redhead followed, drawing up next to her.

"Where is Marlene?" Were the first words to leave Yuffie's lips. As if on cue, the younger girl appeared at the bottom of the stairs, rubbing away the bleary eyes of sleep. The fog lifted from her eyes as soon as she saw Yuffie.

"Aunt…Yuffie? Aunt Yuffie!" She ran all the way to the ninja and drew up short in front of her.

Yuffie's expression softened as she kneeled down if front of the girl and gently put her hands on Marlene's shoulders, even though the girl wouldn't meet her eyes. "Marly…are you all right?" Her tone was tender and mothering. It was a tone that felt familiar to Marlene, one her own mother might have used it before she could even remember. As if to show her wounds, like she would if she had only had a scraped knee or jammed finger, Marlene held out her wrists. Feather-white scars snaked around their slender widths. With a tiny nod of understanding, Yuffie held out her own wrists level with Marlene. The unhealed wounds on Yuffie's wrists matched Marlene's twin scars gleaming white in her flesh, and slowly the younger girl raised her gaze to Yuffie's.

"He didn't hurt me like he hurt you, Marlene, but he hurt a lot of other girls like that. I was just able to fight back better. Do you understand?" Marlene cocked her head to one side. "Marlene…what happened to you was not your fault. And…you aren't alone. I'll always be here to match your scars, okay?" The younger brunette smiled timidly and nodded. "Now, go give your daddy a hug, alright? He's missed you." Yuffie didn't miss the flash of fear that flickered in Marlene's coffee colored eyes. But it was gone as soon as it arrived, and the girl was wrapped up in Barrett's arms.

Yuffie straightened and faced Tifa with a steady gaze. At a quiet word from her father, Marlene went back upstairs to play with Denzel. The air was thick with tension as apology shone all over Tifa in her posture and face.

"Yuffie, I'm—" She began softly.

"Don't." The word seemed to almost physically hurt Tifa, although Yuffie was addressing the entire group before her. "For once in your life, don't speak. Just listen. And if you never listen again, at least listen now." Yuffie's eyes were cold, gray marble in a face of ice. "I am Kisaragi Yuffie, Princess of Wutai, a country where we value honor and loyalty above all else. Honor, loyalty and friendship. I would die for my friends and family. I would kill anyone who threatened my friends and family, and I would kill them without a second thought. I would die for my friends and family, and I would do it without a second thought. Even after the events of the past few days, I would still die for any of you. The day Jacob Draken set foot in this bar, someone should have killed him. Instead, you listened as he told you of Marlene's kidnapping, and then you agreed to throw me to him as payment to get her back. Never once did you consider that it could have been a trap. That she might have already been dead."

Yuffie paused to take a deep breath. "You were so blinded by your paranoia and fear that you made a deal with the devil and exchanged the life of one friend for another. You gave my life away. Yes, I understand Tifa. You couldn't fight him, because that might lead to your death. And you couldn't die in my place because you have so many bigger and better things going for you than me. After all, you have a fiancée, you have a bar, you have adopted children and lots of friends. You couldn't die and leave all of them. What did I have? A father. Family and friends back in Wutai. Reno. And a country to someday rule over. Not much in comparison, _obviously_. But don't you see? It's not like anyone was asking you to die in my place. You were being asked to thwart Jacob's plans, to defend the daughter of a friend. To protect another friend. And all you could do was take the easy way out. All of you. Even you, Vincent. I didn't see you doing much other than following me around. When the deciding moment came, you all stood there and watched. The only one who even tried to help me was Reno."

Yuffie's voice never rose above a quiet, thoughtful tone, even as her gaze dropped to the floor for a split second, before snapping up with power radiating from her very being as she continued. "You betrayed me. All of you. But not only did you betray me, and Reno. Not only did you let us both down, but you betrayed Aeris as well. You let her down. Do you think she would have stood for any of the betrayals you committed? Of course not. Obviously she would never betray us because she _died for all of us_. You let her down. She would have rather died than have any of us die. She was the one who truly taught me what sacrifice was. I would have gladly sacrificed myself for Marlene, if anyone had thought to let me know what was happening." The ninja sighed. "I'm heading back to Wutai. My father needs to know that I'm safe and alive. But I wanted you all to know that…I would still die for any of you. I still value my friends above all else. But…you won't be seeing me for a while. If you can throw me away so easily, I'm obviously still the bratty thief I was during Meteor to all of you. If there's ever an emergency…feel free to call me, but until then…I need time to think." Reno quietly took Yuffie's hand and they turned towards the door. And then just like that, they were gone.

A gloom settled over the bar. Tifa slumped against the bar, and Cloud decided to take Fenrir for a ride. They all knew he would head to the church. Barrett punched a wall and Nanaki's fire seemed to dim slightly. Cid just flopped onto a couch muttering curses under his breath. Vincent's eyes were unbelievably sad as he watched the shinobi leave.

"What…does she want from us?" Tifa pondered.

"She just wanted us to be good friends. She wanted us to fight for her. Like she would have done for any of us." Vincent replied quietly.

Reeve pushed off from the wall he had been lounging against, and strode to the bar's front door. He was the only one exempt from Yuffie's speech, as he had been excluded from Tifa's actions. "What, did you expect Yuffie to forgive you in a second and come running back with open arms and hugs all around? You _did_ go against everything her country values, and hand her over to a psychotic serial killer. And rapist. It's going to take time, and a lot of effort on you parts to heal her hurts. Especially the gaping hole in her back." With a slight wave, Reeve left the bar.

Tifa frowned, and felt her eyes burning slightly. "What am I supposed to do?" She wondered out loud to a dismal bar scene. A single thought drifted to the front of her mind. 'Goodness, I've been helpless lately…' A determined gleam flashed in her eyes. She would fix things with Yuffie…even if it was the last thing she ever did. Aeris would never forgive her if she didn't…and neither would Yuffie. Hell, she would never forgive _herself_.

"Vincent. I am _going_ to repair things, and you're going to help me." She was sounding more like her old self every second.

* * *

(AN: Blah! I am sooo sorry that it's taken me forever to update, and I've decided to stop trying to promise quick updates, because it just doesn't happen…anyways, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and that Yuffie's big speech wasn't _too_ OOC…sweatdrop She's a good guilter, nyeh? Please ignore any typos in this, the majority of it was written between midnight and….five am? I think. Thanks go to my amazing reviewers, including: **ariaswan, MidnightXRequiem (amazing roommate and beta, even though she didn't beta this because she a bajillion miles away from me T.T), midnight 1987, Vampyric Ninja, otaku dreamer (amazing cousin! XD), xTxNxLx, JingYee, Kaikai PANTS, IQ TestsSuck, Serenitychan13, and Don'tCallMeBones! **You are the best reviewers anyone could ever have! Review for this chappie and you get… cookies and cream ice cream, a Wii and Zelda: Twilight Princess! That game is eating my brain….XD R&R!!! Oh and btw, I fixed a big booboo in the previous chapter…because originally I had apparently made Yuffie so skilled that she could chew through ropes before taking the tape off of her mouth…I wish _I_ was that skilled XD but that's fixed now. Now, REVIEW! )

Oh, and one other thing. Yes, I am aware that it is impossible during the game to drive a car from Edge/Midgar to the Northern Continent, so Jacob would not be able to transport Yuffie and Reno there via car. HOWEVER! Cloud does it with Fenrir in Advent Children, so maybe the built a bridge? XD


	13. Aftermath

**Disclaimer: This chapter is so delayed because I was trying to buy FFVII from Square. My plans failed miserably, and I still own nothing you recognize.**

* * *

Yuffie glared at the letter Reno was trying to hand her with a vehemence normally reserved for Godo.

"That is _sooooo_ **completely**, Tifa! She _would_ think she could make it up to me by throwing a goddamn party! Who the _hell_ does she think she is, like _cake and brownies_ are gonna fucking fix the fact that she _sent me to my already impending, RAPE-FILLED doom!!!_"

Reno scratched the back of his head thoughtfully, but a mischievous gleam was present in his eyes. "Well…now that you mention it… some brownies sound nice right about now…"

Yuffie threw a halfhearted kick at his shin. "Argh! _You!_ You _would_ consider brownies the universal peace offering…" She trailed off, sticking her tongue out at him.

He smirked in response. "You love it, babe." The redhead snaked an arm around her waist and dragged them both down into one of the squishy armchairs in the living room.

It had been months since the confrontation, and they had decided to stay in Reno's old house together. It was cozy, convenient and they had a lot of memories there. Yuffie wouldn't admit it to anyone, but she still got that excited, knotty feeling in her stomach when she wandered into the kitchen and thought about her and Reno's first kiss. It was girly, and completely unlike Yuffie, but every woman—even tomboy Yuffie Kisaragi—was allowed a few moments like that in life.

Godo had, of course, given conditions to letting the couple live together. This was after he had nearly tried to disembowel Reno upon first meeting him. Yuffie smirked a bit at the memory before gazing down at the ring finger of her left hand with an odd look on her face. The emerald engagement ring fit perfectly but she still wasn't sure how the idea of Reno as her fiancé made her feel. She knew she loved him, and would probably want to marry him someday, but she hadn't wanted her engagement to be rushed or forced. But Godo had spoken, and it was more acceptable to the Wutai public if she was living with her fiancé instead of just boyfriend, so she would do it for them. It would probably be years before she and Reno actually got married, which suited them just fine.

Reno had noticed her pondering. "I can return that and get you a diamond, if ya want." Yuffie sighed before craning her neck up to kiss him.

"Moron. I've always liked emeralds best. I just don't want you to feel obligated…"

It was his turn to scoff. "Stupid brat. I think we both know its gonna be a while before we tie the knot, and I would've liked to have done something a little more romantic and suave than be escorted to the jeweler by your father and then just hand you the rock with him watching, but other than that…" he trailed off.

She grinned. "Just checking to make sure you weren't gonna be fine with it now and then get cold tootsies down the road."

Reno's smirk was cocky as always, but laced underneath with a tenderness. "Princess, my feet have never been this hot."

"…yeah, I guess you do have sexy feet. My legs are still better though."

"Way to kill my momentum."

"Sorry."

"Fucking love you, brat."

"Ditto, Turkey."

* * *

Against her better judgment, Yuffie had let Reno talk her into attending Tifa's party. The barmaid was referring to it as a "reunion," and Yuffie again found herself scoffing at her nerve.

"She's just so…so…SO! SHE'S JUST SO!" Her ranting had been a constant stream of profanities and incoherence since leaving the house.

Reno sighed. "Yuffie, just shut up for a minute and listen to me." His voice was uncharacteristically serious. "Ever since we got back from you bitching out your friends, you've been fairly miserable. You hide it well, but I can see it. You may be a ninja, but there ain't a lot you can hide from a Turk, we were trained to see through that shit. As badly as they wronged you, you still love them. They're still your friends. If you don't have them, who do you have? You've got me and you've got your subjects back in Wutai. And how much fun are they? They'll just sit there worrying about offending the future Lady of Wutai and you'd die of boredom. And you need people in your life other than you boyfriend slash fiancé slash whatever the fuck I am. So you are going to go to this party, and you are going to listen to what they have to say and then you are going to start forgiving them. I'm not saying it's all gonna happen at once, but you have to at least start the process. They were weak, and they were stupid and they know they fucked up. Now it's your turn to accept that people are people and they do dumb shit. And they take advantage and they can be scum. But at the bottom of that all, if they're still good people, you have to be a good enough person to forgive."

There was dead silence in the car for five heartbeats.

"…And there goes my serious quota for the year." Reno grinned over at the ninja.

"You know something, Reno? I think…you're right. I'm not saying I'm wrong to be so angry I could kill all of them, but you're right too. For once." She forced a tiny smile.

The road flew beneath the tires of the car and the Seventh Heaven came into view. In a matter of seconds, the car was parked and she was making her way towards the door.

As soon as Reno and Yuffie stepped foot into the bar, all conversation stopped and the air almost seemed to thicken into a tense fog. The whole of AVALANCHE was there, along with the rest of the Turks, Rufus and some of Yuffie's co-workers from the WRO. All eyes turned to the doorway and Yuffie rolled hers in response. She was fed up with the bullshit.

"Gawd! I'm not gonna freak out, okay? Just go back to your conversations people…" Yuffie announced to the whole room. The noise level picked back up again as the crowd did just that.

Reno saw Tifa winding her way through the tables and guests and gave Yuffie a small nod and a touch on the arm before making his way over to Rude and Elena. He'd be watching from the other side of the room, but the women needed some semblance of privacy.

Tifa had reached Yuffie by then. Darkened amber eyes met slate gray. "Yuffie… we're all really glad you came tonight." Tifa let out a small smile.

It was in that smile that Yuffie saw her old friend, the martial artist she had fought alongside all those times. The woman who had given her a room in the bar for as long as she needed when Godo was being impossible with suitors. She even saw a little bit of Aeris in that smile.

Aeris never would have done what everyone else had, but Aeris also would have been the first to forgive and forget. It had been Tifa first and then Aeris who had convinced the others to let Yuffie stay after she had stolen and deceived them. They had forgiven her.

Slowly, the younger woman's face lit up in a grin. "Tif, I wouldn't have missed out on your cooking for the world." And then she hugged her with the patented Yuffie Hug of Death and Suffocation. The whole bar had gone silent again to watch the scene, ending what little privacy they'd had. Most of the people were smiling happily. Reno just smirked from behind a beer and shook his head.

* * *

It was later that night that Yuffie found herself back in the kitchen helping Tifa finish up some of the food she'd made for the party. It was a situation she was familiar with, and to be honest, Yuffie felt light and happy with forgiveness.

"Yuffs…you know that I really am so, so sorry about what I did, right? I was stupid and I should have done…_anything_ except what I did. I see that now." Tifa's eyes were huge with remorse and Yuffie grinned for what felt like the millionth time that night.

"You're back now, Tif. The real you, not that weak, dumb imitation. I dunno what happened to bring her here, but she's gone now and that's what matters. Just like my inner, sneaking materia thief is absolutely gone."

Tifa gave a loud laugh of disbelief. "Uh huh, _sure Yuffie_. I'm not arguing that my

stupid side is dead and buried but your inner thief is freaking immortal."

"Yeah…well…at least she's entertaining!"

Tifa shook her head, before an idea seemed to strike her. "Shiva! I almost forgot! Don't go anywhere, I'll be right back." And she was gone. Yuffie had only to wait a half a minute before the barmaid had returned with an excited grin etched onto her face.

"Vincent and I spent _tons_ of time working on this as…kind of a begging-for-forgiveness gift. It's mostly from me, 'cause I was the stupid bitch, but he helped me out just 'cause he's Vincent." From behind her back she drew a piece of materia.

It was red, it was mastered and it was Knights of the Round.

Yuffie spluttered for a good minute before smacking herself in the face and then pinching her arm.

"_How on the Planet did you get Cloud to give this to you to give me??????!?" _She finally managed to choke out.

Tifa's smile turned sly. "I didn't. I borrowed Cloud's Knights of the Round, mastered it up so it created a new one, and then mastered that one for you. So now you've got your own."

"Tifa…if this is how you make things up to me, could you possibly hand me over to like… twelve thousand more serial killers? 'Kay, thanks." Yuffie chose that moments to brush her bangs out of her eyes, and in that moment Tifa finally noticed the sparkly emerald on her finger.

_"OHMYGOD YOU'RE ENGAGED!!!!!! YOU HAVE TO LET ME PLAN THE WEDDING!!!" _

Yuffie shrank away from the decibels, covering her eyes and cowering a little before bellowing back. "No! NO! We are NOT getting married just yet and we are most certainly NOT PLANNING THE WEDDING NOW!"

Their voices had carried to the outer room which had gone silent, yet again. It was Elena who broke it. "You…and Yuffie are getting married?" No one even waiting for Reno's confirmation before the crowd of guests dissolved into chaos exclaiming and congratulating and all around flipping out. Yuffie emerged from the back room and Reno met her eyes. The two nodded at each other.

"BAIL!!!!!!!!" She shrieked before letting off a smoke grenade. When the room had cleared, they had disappeared without a trace, save for a note in Yuffie's scrawl.

_Thanks for the awesome party, and NO WEDDING PLANS YET. We'll be around when you've gotten off the Chocobo Hypers. Hugs. Yuffs and the Turkey. _

* * *

Outside the bar, outside the town limits, up on one of the cliffs overlooking Edge, Yuffie and Reno sat on the hood of the car, enjoying the night air and the stars.

"We barely escaped with our lives, I hope you know." Yuffie muttered as Reno chuckled and tightened her arm around her waist.

"Well princess, I'd rather die by an overexcited Tifa than a rapist, serial killer, that's for sure."

"True… and I kinda have Jacob to thank for a lot of things too." The redhead raised and eyebrow at her. "I do! Like… he made me realize how important my friends really are to me, even when they fuck up. And how important it is to remember Aeris's sacrifice. But more important than either of those…" She elbowed him in the ribs. "If he didn't threaten my life, and Tseng didn't force me into protective housing then I never would've gotten to be with you. I'd probably still think you were an obnoxious flirt with your head up your ass and way too many hormones."

"…ouch."

"Well now I know I was wrong and I think you're the most amazing man on the Planet… does that make it better?"

"Mm…yeah, that fixes it. Now get your ass over here." He gently tugged her face up to his until their lips met. When they broke apart there was a pause before Yuffie smirked.

"You're still kind of obnoxiously flirtatious though."

"And you're still a bratty, ninja thief."

"Take that back!"

"I love you?"

"…I guess I love you too."

"I know I love you."

"Yeah, yeah… I know I love you too, Turkey boy. You, and only you, can hold me hostage anytime."

Reno and Yuffie were still dysfunctional as always, but they were alive and dysfunctional together.

.Fin.

* * *

(AN: First of all… HAPPY NEW YEAR! And secondly, I'm sooooo sorry it's been months, but now Hostage has finally come to an end!! Basically, to make a long story short, this fic turned out waaayyyy different than it was supposed to and by the time I got to when the last chapter _should_ be, I still didn't know how it would end. I thought I'd be happy once it was over, but I'm really gonna miss this story… time to concentrate of Cataclysm now!! Huge amounts of thanks go out to all my lovely, wonderful, stupendous, fabulous, amazingly awesome reviewers! *Deep breath* **AureusNocta, Kaikai PANTS, chibified kitsunes, starbrightdreamer, Serenitychan13, Vampyric Ninja, JingYee, Freedom Rionach, kawaii_lucie, Felosiyo-the-ninjah, LeRequiem, Fallen-Yuki, Rush, Leilani Daniels, Shroud of Twilight, Little Wekkaroo, Fraggy-Doodles, Diamond Moonlight, midnight 1987, Fan, Kim, Azalie-Kauriu, ariaswan, ClassicBeauty16, Lady Da Qiao of Wu, anonymous, xTxNxLx, Flaunt Your Individuality, Don'tCallMeBones, Darkened-Skys, JeanneAndHerAlters, Nanyoky, NeverAnyWhere, What A Lovely Disaster, and ChibiChibiBunny!** *pants* You guys are all awesome, especially you reviewers from the beginning, you know who you are! XD Now, I know some people may not agree with the ending, but I'm pretty satisfied with it. Again, sorry for any typos, I write at night when I'm half-asleep. Anyways, drop a final review if ya feel like it, I always love hearing from you guys XD… UNTIL NEXT TIME!!!

~Bru)


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